Idol Hands
by The Blue Time Ranger
Summary: The spies are called upon by the leader of a Japanese pop band to investigate the strange disappearances of its members. Could it be another J-pop group wanting to sabotage Idol Opportunity's popularity, or could something or someone more sinister be behind the disappearances? Co-op project with Mat49324, and episode seven of "Totally Spies: The New Adventures".
1. The Spies Take to the Stage!

**7:20 P.M. - Akihabara, Japan**

"Ten minutes to showtime, Marnie!"

Marnie simply ignored the shouts of her manager and continued to prepare her outfit for the show. She knew how this worked, after all. He didn't need to constantly remind her of every little thing.

But, then again, he _was_ her brother, after all. Piers often worried about her, sometimes irrationally, but it was a given with how competitive the idol industry was here in Japan.

"We're on soon, Marnie," Ruri stated as she poked her head into Marnie's room. "You ready for this?"

"As I'll ever be," Marnie admitted.

"You still worried about what they'll think?" Ruri asked, walking in to put a comforting hand on Marnie's shoulder.

"It's a brand new song, but it's very different from my usual material," Marnie answered. "I don't know what they'll say about it when they're so used to how my old songs went..."

"Hey, it'll be fine," Ruri proclaimed. "Your _true_ fans will love you and your music no matter what form it takes. Any fakers who call themselves fans wouldn't be here tonight."

Despite her nervousness, Marnie managed a smile. "Thanks, Ruri. You always know how to cheer me up, don't you?"

"Anything for my lifelong bestie," Ruri giggled, leaning over to hug Marnie. "Now let's all get out there and show them what we're made of!"

"Music to my ears," Marnie stated as she adjusted her idol uniform one last time before following Ruri out to the main stage, ready to put on a show for her adoring audience.

* * *

(The pages constantly turn, no matter how long the reader takes. When one story ends, another story will inevitably start. In the end, there is only a new beginning.)

**Mat49324** and **The Blue Time Ranger** are proud to present:  
_Totally Spies!: __Idol Hands  
_**Story Rated:** T for Teen  
**Story Created:** December 26th, 2019

**Story Summary:** The seventh joint project between Mat49324 and The Blue Time Ranger, now collectively known as _Totally Spies: The New Adventures_. One seemingly normal day, a Japanese idol singer actually comes to W.O.O.H.P. voluntarily. The reason? Marnie would like the spies to investigate the disappearances of the other members of her music group Idol Opportunity. Knowing how competitive the industry can be, the spies once again set out for Japan to take on the case. Could the disappearances be linked to a rival idol group wanting to upstage Idol Opportunity, or is something more sinister behind the vanishing musicians?

**Author's Note from The Blue Time Ranger: **It's time for lucky number seven! Now, anyone who's followed my stories, especially with the W.I.T.C.H.: Key to Her Heart trilogy, will know that I'm a pretty big anime nut. So, for our next foray into Totally Spies, I figured we could focus on j-pop and idols, something I enjoy listening to.

**Author's Note from Mat49324: **As Nick said, joint fic #7 between us. Man, I forgot how much fun this was and now I'm really regretting losing interest in this show 12 years ago. We hope you enjoy this one and stay tuned for a Christmas oneshot coming soon titled "Hawaiian Holiday Hijinks." Oh, and if you haven't, please read and review my other oneshot titled "Totally Ice Cold"; I'm also planning a sequel soon (though people said it isn't really needed), but I'm gonna do it anyway just for the heck of it. Anyway, as for this project, I like a little J-pop myself, but my sister is a J-pop junkie.

**And Now, the Obligatory Disclaimer:** Mat49324 and The Blue Time Ranger do not own anything related to Totally Spies or any of its affiliations. It belongs solely to Marathon Media Group, Image Entertainment Corporation, Vincent Chalvon-Demersay, and David Michel. The only things of this story we DO own are any characters created by us truly for the story (in this case, Nick, Haruka, Bridget, May, Nozomi, Dawn, and Melissa on my side, and Mathew on his side). Any characters or things we don't own, we are just borrowing with no intent of copyright infringement, only for the entertainment of our readers. Besides, if we _did_ own Totally Spies, which we _don't_, why would we be writing fiction on a fan site?

* * *

Episode 1: A Golden Idol Opportunity! The Spies Take to the Stage!

**("Heaven" by Bryan Adams plays)**

**8:15 A.M. – The Spies' Beach House**

Another sunny summer day had come to Beverly Hills. Mat and Sam were resting and cuddling on the couch together. The twelve spies had enjoyed another movie night well into the wee hours of last night and Sam and Mat had gotten a little sleepy after 3 movies. When the morning had come, the two of them were the only ones on the couch.

Mat had his arms enveloped around Sam, and she was sleeping soundly with a smile on her face. Mat smiled at how his girlfriend was enjoying every second of her slumber, and he even gave Sam a quiet kiss on her head.

"I love it when you do that," Sam whispered in Mat's ear.

"I hope you get used to it," Mat quipped. "Because this is only the first of _many_ times we'll do this."

"No disagreements here," Sam lovingly sighed and hugging Mat a little tighter.

"Can I tell you something, Sammy?" Mat requested.

"Sure," Sam said, slightly alarmed. "What's that?"

"I wanted to say this last night, but I didn't want to disturb you," Mat began. "But every time I look at you, my love... I can't help but gaze at how you look _so perfect._"

"You really mean that?" Sam gasped and beamed at Mat's statement.

"Of course I mean it, Sammy," said Mat as he looked at her happy face. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. You're _my_ girl, Sam... and you always will be."

"Aww, Mat, you're wonderful," Sam purred as she nuzzled her head near Mat's neck. "And _sooo sweet!_"

"This may not surprise you, but you know where you really show it best?" Mat asked her. "The pool or beach."

Sam chuckled at Mat's answer; she gave him a smile, but she indeed wasn't surprised at his answer.

"You must really like seeing me in a swimsuit, huh?" Sam teased.

"Doesn't every guy? ...you look so perfect, regardless, but it's a compliment, Sammy," said Mat. "I don't even care what you wear, you look _so perfect_. Tell me you're flattered?"

"Of course I am, Mat! How could I _not _be after hearing you say that?" Sam laughed.

Mat kept the mood up by kissing Sam's forehead.

"I love you so much, Sammy," Mat lovingly said to his girlfriend.

"I love you, too, my sweet Mat," Sam quipped.

The two lovers spent another seven minutes enveloped in each other's embraces. Mat then looked to see May near his right knee. As soon as he motioned to Sam, the two decided to finally get up.

Nick was surprised to see May already sitting on the couch when he walked downstairs, headphones nestled snugly over her ears and bopping back and forth to the beat of whatever song she was listening to.

Deciding to see what the big ruckus was all about, Nick walked down the rest of the stairway and sat down by May, surprising her slightly.

"Enjoying yourself, I take it?" Nick quipped.

"Just jammin' to Marnie's latest hit!" May giggled.

"And Marnie is...?" Nick asked.

May reached to the table to pick up her X-Powder and show Nick a picture of Marnie. "She's an up-and-coming Japanese pop idol sensation!" May explained. "She's the lead singer of a group called Idol Opportunity."

"Appreciate the punny name," Nick quipped.

"She just released her latest single, 'Passionate Spectrum', and her fans are _loving it_!" May continued.

"Yourself included?" Nick teased.

"Hey, don't knock it until you've tried it," May responded, lifting her headphones off of her head so Nick could use them and listen in.

"Hey, she's got a pretty sweet singing voice," Nick quipped.

"Told ya so!" May laughed.

**12:35 P.M. – The Groove**

"It feels like _forever_ since we've been to the mall!" Clover proclaimed.

"It's only been a couple days, Clover," Bridget sighed.

"Remind me again why we're here on a _Saturday_?!" Nick responded. "Clover, _you especially_ know that The Groove is an unadulterated _warzone_ on the weekends!"

"Especially not counting the _literal_ warzone it became when Geraldine and Natalie were messing with things," Mat replied. "Not fun _at all_."

"Well, this time we've got a much tighter group to stick together," Clover responded. "And besides, we haven't been able to shop together in a while!"

"...you just want to find something to impress that baguette guy again," Haruka giggled.

"Clover, _seriously_?!" May shouted.

"It's a different baguette guy this time, May," Clover stated. "Not _as _French, but _definitely_ just as hunky!"

"Oy vey," Nick and May groaned together.

"I kinda needed some new outfits after last mission anyway, so why not, everyone?" Sam proclaimed.

The mood was put on hold when Sam's phone rang and saw her dad's photo as the caller.

"Why's my dad calling?" Sam asked as she answered. "Hello?"

"Hi, Sam?" Her dad replied. "Where are you?"

"I'm... at the Groove with Clover and the others," Sam answered. "Why?"

"I just wanted to hear how you were doing," said her dad. "I also heard mom say you have a steady boyfriend, too?"

Sam was shocked. Some of the other spies turned to her.

"Uh... yeah, I do," Sam stuttered, afraid her dad wouldn't approve.

"That's great," said her dad. "What's his name?"

"Uh, can we... have this conversation later?" Sam requested.

She immediately hung up, feeling embarrassed.

"What was that all about, Sammy?" asked Clover.

Suddenly, one of the nearby benches retracted into the bush behind it, revealing a gaping hole in the floor, and prevented Sam from answering Clover's question.

"Not this time, Jerry," Nick stated, raising his hands to create a psychic bubble around the group and protect them from the suction so they could all jump into the tube themselves.

Once the group had reached W.O.O.H.P.'s main office, Nick dissolved the bubble, allowing everyone to change into their spy suits.

"You're slipping, Jerry," Nick teased.

"A man can dream," Jerry responded.

"Okay, Jerry, who or what do we have to shake down, knock out, or dope-slap today?" Haruka asked once everyone was at attention.

"I believe our guest would like to handle that explanation," Jerry proclaimed, stepping to the side to reveal a girl about the spies' age, a slim young girl with ice-blue eyes and black hair tied in twintails, the latter with red ribbons. She was wearing a black choker, a pink minidress under a black gothic jacket and matching black and pink boots.

May could only stare in complete shock at the new arrival. After all, hadn't she been listening to _this exact girl's_ latest song this morning?

"Hello, spies," the girl proclaimed. "Allow me to introduce myself."

"Ohmygodohmygod_ohmygod_, it's Marnie!" May exclaimed, hopping to her feet almost instantly. "The leader of Idol Opportunity!"

"Nice to see my reputation precedes me," Marnie giggled.

"I just spent the morning listening to your new single!" May proclaimed. "You knocked it _right out of the freakin' park!_"

"Um, if I may, Jer, how did Marnie find W.O.O.H.P.?" Alex asked. "It seems unusual that the one in trouble would come and find us, instead of the other way around."

"I simply didn't want to wait any longer," Marnie answered. "I had heard of W.O.O.H.P. through the grapevine of my network, and I figured you might be the best help I can get. After all, popularity can also give you unexpected connections. Jerry?"

Jerry pointed to the large viewscreen to show the spies a group photo of Marnie and her group, Idol Opportunity. "Recently, many of the members of Idol Opportunity have been disappearing under strange circumstances," Jerry explained.

"It didn't seem natural, so I decided to get in touch with Jerry and ask his best agents to help me figure out what happened to them," Marnie replied. "And with some other, more... shall we say, _competitive _idol groups that have been surfacing lately, I was worried that it might be one of them trying to sabotage us."

"Seriously?" Alex gasped. "Another idol group wants you guys out of the picture?!"

"Trust me, Alex, the Japanese idol industry can get _really_ cutthroat at times," May answered. "You never know when a new group could swoop in and steal your thunder."

"That is your mission today, spies," Jerry proclaimed. "Follow Marnie back to Japan and search for the missing members of her group, and find out who is behind their disappearance."

"Ooh, this is going to be _awesome_!" May giggled.

While the spies were discussing how to go about this case, Jerry smiled and pressed a button on his desk's control panel and caused another large vacuum tube to suck all of the spies into it, sending them straight to the Skyskimmer.

"Slipping no more," Jerry laughed. Marnie just giggled and made her way to the Skyskimmer herself.

(From **Mat49324**)

"How dare you, Jerry!" Nick exclaimed at what just happened.

"Don't take it personal, bro," said Mat.

May was still fangirling over Marnie being in the Skyskimmer with them.

"I have to be honest," Mat quietly said to the others. "If that were me with Chad Reed or Jeremy McGrath, I don't think I'd react any different than May currently is."

"Considering how well-versed you are on Supercross," Bridget commented. "I certainly wouldn't put it past you, Mat."

"I can only imagine all the things he'd say to this guy or that guy or what have you," Alex said in agreement.

May was having the most fun reciting all of Marnie's past hits, which really flattered Marnie at May's loyalty.

"If there's one thing one of my grandpas taught me back home, it's loyalty," said Mat.

Clover and Sam nodded in agreement.

"So, have your friends heard of me?" Marnie asked May, then turning to the rest of the group.

"I think I heard a couple hits," said Nozomi.

"I might have heard one or two myself," said Nick.

"I'm not much of a music person myself, but..." Haruka started. "Wait, was 'Blue Bird' one of your songs?"

Marnie nodded.

"No wonder that sounded so familiar!" Haruka giggled.

"Same here," Melissa continued. "I usually check out whatever Nick listens to, and I've definitely heard a few of your songs."

"You should see my step-sister," Dawn laughed. "She _really_ loves Japanese music, and I'm sure she'd be freaking out right now!"

"Wow, seems my popularity is growing to the states little by little," Marnie quipped. She then turned to the other spies. "How about the rest of you?"

"I'll be honest, this is the first I've heard of you," said Alex sheepishly.

"Likewise," said Britney.

Sam, Clover, and Mat were no different.

"I can't say whether I've heard a tune from you or not," said Mat. "It's pretty catchy since I've heard a few Japanese songs myself. My younger sister back in Hawaii might have heard of you though. She's a J-pop _addict!_"

"Oh, is she now?" Marnie teased.

"Hey, I didn't know you had a sister, Mat," Alex quipped.

"Guess I never really mentioned her until now," Mat admitted.

May wasn't the least surprised since she seemed to be the only raving fan.

"That does remind me though," said Marnie, remembering the one important thing. "I didn't get your names."

"I'm May," May began. "May Iwakura."

The other eleven spies went through their names, too; Marnie hadn't forgotten about Mat mentioning Hawaii, too and asked him about it.

"Yeah, I'm originally from Hawaii," said Mat. "But I didn't go back because of this outstanding group of friends I've made – especially finding true love in Sam here."

Sam had no problem returning the favor and not denying that she and Mat were in love; Alex had no problem doing vice versa with Nick.

"So, anyway, now that that's out of the way," said Sam. "Would you care to go into detail about how your bandmates disappeared?"

"Yeah, was there any note left or anything?" Nick asked.

"Well, it started about two weeks ago," Marnie explained. "Right at the end of my group's last concert, the lights went out and Ruri had just... _vanished_ into thin air. Everyone in the crowd thought it was just part of the show, but we knew better. Ruri would _never_ just ditch us like that."

"So you figured something had happened to her," Mat replied. "No offense, Marnie, but isn't it weird to automatically assume it was a kidnapping?"

Marnie just laughed teasingly. "No offense taken, Mat. I've known Ruri for most of my life, and she'd always at least tell me where she's going if she had to take off somewhere."

"And it just kept repeating?" Nick wondered.

"Until I was the only one left," Marnie continued. "Luckily, my manager Piers, who's also my big brother, was able to spin a convincing story that we were taking a short break to prepare for our next big show."

"That does sound suspicious," said Dawn.

"Let's see if Marnie's studio will give us some answers," Britney quipped.

**2:07 PM – Marnie's Studio (Japan)**

The twelve spies remained focused as they looked around for any clues. May was still starstruck at being in Marnie's studio.

"It'd be nice if we knew what we were looking for," said Nick.

Mat saw a group photo of Idol Opportunity with Marnie smack dab in the middle. "Must be Japan's version of matchbox twenty, Exposé, or The Jets maybe," he said.

May was the only one who seemed to know each member.

"I might be on cloud nine if we were with Triple Threat," Clover commented.

Sam and Alex grinned about that, but they still remembered Clover not mailing their entries (reference season 3's "Evil Airlines Much?") and keeping them grounded. Out of respect, neither of them brought that up since that wasn't the time.

Simultaneously, Sam also seemed to be bothered by her dad phoning her and gently touching on hearing that she has a steady boyfriend; inside, there was a part of her that regretted hanging up on her own dad about the subject. Eventually, Sam couldn't take it anymore and pulled Mat away to talk to him privately.

"Mat, do your parents know about you and me?" Sam asked.

"I told them," said Mat after giving Sam a surprised look. "Last week actually."

"What did they say?" Sam asked.

"At first my mom asked me if I knew what I was getting into," said Mat. "Honestly, I was a little irritated and told her off. Sometimes I wish she'd give me the benefit of logic and let me do my own thing."

"She _actually_ asked you that question?" Sam asked, pretty surprised.

"Yeah," Mat quipped. "But honestly, I'm glad I went against her wishes. Unfortunately, she... kinda figured out about me as a spy for W.O.O.H.P., but again, I put my foot down with her and told her not to say it to anyone."

"How'd she do that?" asked Sam.

"News around the world section in the local newspaper I guess," said Mat, shrugging his shoulders. "Is this... because of that... phone call you got at the Groove?"

"Yeah," Sam admitted. "It was my dad. I... aborted his call because I didn't want to hear him possibly say we had to break up."

"I think you should've told him," said Mat. "You can't just break a vase in your house for example and just keep quiet in the hopes that it goes unnoticed. I guess all we can hope is that Gabby told him about the things I've done for you – asked you out, took that walk together, cooked you dinner, and gave you the card and roses. Gabby gave me her blessing after all; I'm sure your dad will feel the same way. I told my dad over the phone and he seemed to be happy for me – and yes, I texted them the photo Haruka gave us."

"You're right, Mat," Sam answered. "I'll try to find a good time to let him know. ...you're seriously sweet, you know that?"

"I've been told," Mat replied as Sam leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"You know," said Mat. "Alex and Clover have come to me for other matters a time or two – Britney and a few others have, too."

"Hey, girls, I think I found something," Nick proclaimed.

Sam and Mat were able to overhear as the two went back to see what Nick found.

"It looks like a fancy flash drive," Dawn noted, leaning down to pick up the small drive and plug it into her X-Powder. All that was on the drive was a song labeled "DREAM." Knowing it could be a clue, Dawn slipped on her headphones to listen to the song.

"I got something, too," Melissa remarked.

(Written by **The Blue Time Ranger**)

"It looks like... a note," Melissa stated.

"Wait, that wasn't there the last time I was on stage," Marnie replied.

"What does it say?" May asked.

Melissa glanced at the note. It simply read _To everyone who shunned my career, prepare to lose yours_ and it had a strange fingerprint on it.

"Hmmm..." Melissa quipped, placing the fingerprint onto her X-Powder's scanner.

Just then, something very strange happened.

Dawn suddenly stiffened in her spot, dropping her X-Powder. Her eyes suddenly dulled and she began walking towards the exit of the stage.

"H-Hey, Dawn, what's the...?" Nick asked, dashing off to catch up with his cousin, only for something even stranger to happen.

The instant Nick put his hand on her shoulder, Dawn responded by way of a flying spin kick that sent Nick crashing to the ground.

"W-what the heck?!" Bridget exclaimed.

Almost the instant Nick picked himself up, Dawn lunged forward with a double-fisted punch that knocked him a few steps back.

"All right, that's it," Nick proclaimed, throwing his arms outward and letting his psychic aura flare to life around him, surprising Marnie in the process.

Dawn leaped through the air with an overhead kick, but Nick dodged to the side, firing a quick psychic burst into Dawn's back to get her to stumble and allow him to ensnare her in his psychic grip.

"Snap out of it, Dawn!" Nick shouted even as Dawn struggled.

"What happened to her?" Haruka asked.

"I don't know!" Nick responded. "Apparently she was listening to whatever song's on that music player and then she just started attacking me!"

"I'm on it," May proclaimed, rushing to retrieve Dawn's X-Powder. Nick disengaged his psychic hold on Dawn to go check it out, only for Dawn to pounce on him mid-run.

Nick and Dawn rolled around attacking each other for a few seconds until Nick was able to kick Dawn off, both of them leaping to their feet and shifting into fighting stances...

...that is, until Dawn stopped and relaxed her stance, then rushed off before Nick could think to stop her.

"Okay, would someone wanna tell us what just happened?!" Clover exclaimed.

"It must have something to do with _this_," May quipped, showing the group Dawn's X-Powder, which currently had the strange flash drive plugged into it. "There was a song on the drive, and I think listening to it with her headphones might have hypnotized her."

"Wait, wouldn't that mean _we'd_ be hypnotized if we listened to it?" Nozomi wondered.

"Nah, you usually have to listen closely when it comes to these hypno-songs, like with _headphones_, so I think we should be okay," May replied, playing the song so everyone could hear it.

To the group's surprise, Marnie was the first one to react to the song. "That's... that's 'Dreamer's Ballad'!" Marnie gasped.

"Wait, you mean that one song you were all working on, but lost it when one of your members graduated?" May asked.

"That's the one," Marnie responded, not at all surprised that May knew that little tidbit. "I thought we'd lost everything to do with that song when Kanami graduated, but... how did this weirdo get it?"

"Maybe you should ask _this_ guy," Melissa answered, showing everyone her X-Powder, which was now displaying who the fingerprint on the note belonged to.

"Oh, dang it, not T-Bone," Alex sighed. "I can't believe I used to like that guy!"

"Wait, wasn't he the wacko who tried stealing other peoples' faces to jump start his failing career?" Nozomi asked.

"My question is, what would he be doing _here_ in Japan?" Sam quipped. "Boy Candy was an American band, after all."

"Sounds like we've got more than one baddie to deal with this time," Alex proclaimed. "But first things first, we've gotta set out and find Dawn before she gets in even more trouble!"

"Marnie, you'd better come with us," Bridget proclaimed.

"I'll send this copy of the song to Jerry to see if he can figure out how it's hypnotizing people," Sam stated. "I don't think T-Bone's borrowing crap from Sebastian, but I'm personally not taking any chances."

"Um, one question," Marnie asked. "How did Nick do that thing where he started glowing?"

"You know, I was waiting for _someone_ to ask about my psychic powers," Nick laughed. "On our last few cases, none of the villains we've faced have even so much as _batted an eye_ at the fact that I can do all these fancy-schmancy psycho moves."

"Who's to say how villains' minds work?" Marnie giggled.

"I hear ya, sister," Alex laughed.

"To make a long story extremely short, I was exposed to these strange gemstones on one of our earlier cases, and they sorta gave me psychic powers," Nick explained. "That's a _gross_ over-simplification of the whole tale, but I'll give you the full rundown later, once we've gotten Dawn and the missing performers back!"

"Onwards, fearless leader!" May giggled.

(From **Mat49324**)

"Very well," Nick quipped back at May.

"Just what we needed," Clover groaned, remembering when she was hypnotized from Ricky Mathis' music. "Sebastian is going back to his VERY old habits!"

"Considering what he did to us the second time around, maybe we're lucky Dawn's the only one hypnotized," Sam quipped. (remember season 2's "Stark Raving Mad"?)

"I guess T-Bone might've added another black mark in your book, Alex," said Mat, showing some sympathy.

Alex nodded, but she didn't dwell on that matter.

"But let's hope Phil Jenkins isn't in cahoots with them like last time," said Sam, remembering that mission saddened Mat at first. **(Author's Note from Mat49324: that was our first project, "Music Monster Much?" – quick FYI.)**

"Tell me about it," said Mat, rolling his eyes.

"Where do we start?" Britney asked.

"Maybe Marnie's main stage may give us another answer?" Haruka quipped.

"That's a good place to start," said Nick.

The spies had left Marnie's studio and went out to the main stage.

"So, this is where you perform?" Bridget asked Marnie.

"Yes, it is," said Marnie. "I just hope I won't look at it a different way after this one."

"We'll do whatever we can to see _that_ doesn't happen," said Mat.

The eleven spies looked around. There didn't seem to be any clues, and this made Nick worry a bit about Dawn.

"Hey, we got Mat back a couple times," said May to Nick. "Dawn will be no different."

"Guys, I think we might have come up bust here," said Mat to the group.

He checked behind the curtain to see if he could find something...

"Hey, look at this," said Mat.

"Another clue, Mat?" asked Clover.

"I don't know," said Mat as he picked it up.

It turned out to be a laptop computer with a few fancy stickers on it.

"Oh, that's Ruri's laptop," Marnie replied. "She just started a blog about our past few concerts and experiences around the world."

"Oh, did she?" Haruka quipped.

"Speaking of which," said Marnie. "Mat, we might be Hawaii-bound later this Fall for a concert. Are you gonna be in the neighborhood?" she asked.

"I don't think so," said Mat. "Unless I decide to pay a visit to family... which probably won't happen for a considerable amount of time; being with Sam and my new best buds is my new home."

Sam, Clover, and Alex gave Mat a reassuring smile.

"Anyway, maybe Ruri's blog might give us a new lead," Sam quipped.

"Great thinking, Sammy," said Nick.

"Lucky thing Ruri shared her password with me," said Marnie. "Something also occurred to me though."

"Well, out with it," said Nozomi.

The spies gave Marnie some privacy so she could unlock Ruri's laptop.

"Got it," Marnie quipped, and the spies turned forward.

"So, what exactly came to you, Marnie?" Bridget asked.

"I had just added in a blog post of my own from our previous concert – before AND after," said Marnie. "But I saw Ruri's last post and that's when she had brought up the exact concern."

"Let's see it," said Melissa.

Sam read Ruri's blog post herself.

_Does anyone else find it weird that our members keep disappearing? Our manager said they're just taking a break to prepare for our next big show, but I'm not buying it. I hope everyone's okay..._

When Sam got about halfway through the post, after some useless stuff about dinner and restaurants that Marnie and Ruri ate at, Alex heard her X-Powder ring. She then excused herself from the group.

"Hello?"

Britney and Nick noticed Alex walk away. The two of them caught up to Alex and stood guard in the event of a possible sneak attack.

"Hello?" Alex asked, only for a very familiar voice to answer her.

"Hello, honey!"

Alex jerked back in response when she her father speak to her. "D-Dad?" Alex gasped.

"Surprised to see me, Alex?" her father asked.

"Well, a little," Alex admitted. "I didn't expect you to call me this early. What's up?"

"Your mother told me you have a boyfriend now," her father answered, putting Alex suitably on edge. After all, hadn't Sam been dreading telling her own dad the exact same thing? "I just wanted to talk to him."

"As much as I'd like to, dad, he's not here at the moment," Alex quipped. "But how about I call you back when he _is_?"

"Sounds good to me!" her father laughed.

After they said their goodbyes and Alex hung up, she turned around to see Britney and Nick.

"Hel-lo, can't a girl have a little _privacy?!_" Alex complained.

"Sorry, Alex," said Britney. "But we couldn't take the chance of a sneak attack."

"Britney and I saw eye-to-eye," Nick quipped.

"...I guess you're right," Alex replied. "You can never be too sure, especially with all the nutballs we've had to fight. ...Nick, you probably already figured out that was my dad, right?"

"Yeah, but we'll worry about that when we're done here, okay?" Nick replied. "And I'll stick by you every step of the way."

"I _really_ appreciate that, Nick," Alex giggled, moving over to kiss Nick on the cheek.

Melissa and Mat came to the group.

"Sammy's got a new plan," said Mat.

(Written by **The Blue Time Ranger**)

"All right, Sammy, what's the plan?" Bridget asked once Nick, Britney and Alex had rejoined the group.

However, before Sam could rattle off the steps to her plan, the group heard footsteps approaching them rapidly.

"Oh, _now_ what?!" Clover exclaimed.

Nick reacted quickly, thrusting his right hand out and snatching the incoming attacker in his psychic hold. This revealed their opponent to be a girl about Marnie's age with slightly tanned skin, long dark-blue hair and light blue eyes, wearing a uniform very similar to Marnie's stage outfit.

"Okay, it's _another_ idol?" Haruka asked.

"That's Ruri!" May shouted. "Marnie's partner in Idol Opportunity! Oh, lordy, don't tell me _she's_ been brainwashed, too..."

Sadly, one good look at Ruri's dull, glazed-over eyes confirmed it.

"Ruri, babe, what are you _doing_? Stop standing there like a statue and take 'em down!"

Nick looked behind Ruri to see who else but T-Bone himself standing a few feet away.

"Oh, you're back again," Nick proclaimed. "Are you _seriously_ so desperate to get your career back that you'll mess with singers in _other countries_?!"

"My methods are none of your damn business!" T-Bone shot back.

"You've got _some nerve_ trying to destroy our careers," Marnie proclaimed. "What do you have against us?!"

"You funky little Japanese singers are getting so much more popular in America nowadays," T-Bone growled. "It's making it even harder for _real_ stars like me to get back into the spotlight when you sing in a different _language_, yet everyone eats up your music like it's a buffet meal!"

"Um, _excuse you_?!" May shouted. "_Real _music lovers will enjoy music no matter _what _language it is! Even when I started listening to English music, I still loved it, even if I couldn't sing it for beans! You're just jealous that you're a washed-up pretty boy with nothing left to lean on!"

"Oh, don't act like you know anything about the music industry, little girl," T-Bone proclaimed. "You're just a nerdy little obsessive who'll eat up any _trash_ that gets shoveled your way."

Naturally, May was _fuming_ at that insult, and would have moved to do something about it, but was beat to the punch when Marnie walked up and slugged T-Bone in the stomach, causing him to keel over.

"I'd advise against insulting my fans, you _has-been_," Marnie stated.

"Nice shot, Marnie!" Alex exclaimed.

"Um, girls, I don't know how much longer I can hold Ruri with the way she's struggling," Nick proclaimed. "Is there any way we can break her hypnosis? I'm not sure if my powers can do _that_."

"HAH!" T-Bone laughed. "Do you _honestly_ think I'm going to tell you how to do that?"

"Um, actually, you are, because your dumb trance ensnared my cousin, too, and unless you tell us in the next _five seconds_, I'm going to hurt you," Nick shot back.

"And why should I be scared of you?" T-Bone taunted, only to shirk back in fear when Nick's aura flared dangerously. "A-All right, all right! Just play the stupid song in reverse!"

"Already on it," May quipped, digging out Dawn's X-Powder and headphones and placing them over Ruri's ear. "Why is it always as simple as putting the silly thing in reverse?"

"Now _where's Dawn?!_" Nick shouted.

"That's the only freebie you're getting," T-Bone shouted, already retreating. "If you want her back that badly, come and get her!"

"Hey, _wait_!" Sam shouted.

"Just leave him for now," Haruka answered. "I think we'd better stick around a bit just to make sure Ruri's gonna be okay."

After a few more seconds of playing Dreamer's Ballad in reverse, Ruri's eyes snapped open, regaining their sparkle. Nick wisely disengaged his psychic hold as Ruri looked around.

"W-wait... what's going on?" Ruri asked.

"Ruri, you're okay!" Marnie shouted, leaping over to hug her best friend.

"I... I am?" Ruri asked. "Did I go somewhere? And... who are all of these people?"

"Long story short, Marnie basically hired us to investigate why the members of your group were disappearing," Sam answered. "You were being hypnotized by this weirdo calling himself T-Bone, but we were able to break that spell."

Ruri gazed at the group, unable to stop a smile when she laid her eyes on May, who was practically bouncing up and down in her spot with excitement. "I can see we've got a fan," Ruri giggled. "I'm surprised you haven't asked us for an autograph yet."

"Well, I _do want_ to," May admitted, "but I figured it could wait until after the case is over. It wouldn't feel right while the others are still missing."

"Wait, where _are _the others?" Ruri asked.

"That's what we're going to find out," Nick responded. "T-Bone brainwashed my cousin earlier, and we've got to find her before he uses her in whatever his wacky scheme is."

"Oh, hey, didn't Sam have a plan for us before we got interrupted?" Nozomi asked.

"Good thinking, Nozomi," Sam giggled. "I almost forgot myself. Okay, here's what we do..."

(From **Mat49324**)

The group listened in on Sam's plan.

"If we can plug in Dreamer's Ballad in reverse like what May did to Ruri, maybe we can use the lyrics to save Dawn and all the band members," Sam deduced.

"Sounds like a plan, Sammy," Alex said. "How do we do that though?"

"I think if we go to their main stage, there should be some surround sound speakers nearby and we can use them to play the song in reverse," Sam deduced.

"We always keep them around on our stages," said Marnie.

"Totally," Ruri quipped.

"Well, that's covered," said Nick. "Now we gotta save Dawn!"

"Wait a minute," said Mat. "Wouldn't they be using their stage as their headquarters per se?"

"Good point, Mat," said Haruka. "Rules for villains, #19: always use the main stage as your hotspot for the trouble you plan to cause."

"We know where we're gonna perform," said Marnie. "Ruri and I will take you there."

"Thanks," said Bridget.

"Our concert isn't until tomorrow night, though," Ruri pointed out.

The spies followed Marnie and Ruri to the streets of Akihabara.

"By the way," said Mat. "I should really get this out, but... Marnie, you and Ruri wanna fill us in on this... Kanami person you spoke of and what happened with her?"

"Well, Kanami was one of our former members," Marnie started. "It was about a year ago. She was the one who'd been scheming Dreamer's Ballad for our group. Wrote the lyrics and everything."

"However... before we could finish putting the song together, her mother was killed in an accident," Ruri continued. "She and her father moved to another part of Japan so they could focus on healing. We kept in contact with her, but apparently all our progress on Dreamer's Ballad had been destroyed in the crash. ...well, until today, apparently."

May was able to fill in some blanks at times with what she'd remember hearing from before.

"Yeah, that's a big question, honestly," May quipped. "If the song had been lost in the accident, how did T-Bone and possibly someone else get a hold of it?"

When that was over, Marnie even filled Ruri in about Mat being from Hawaii and that they were heading to Hawaii for a concert in the Fall.

"Well now, isn't that something," Ruri quipped. "You got any recommendations for us, Mat?"

"That's gonna take a while," said Clover.

The spies listened in, too, since Mat's a former Hawaii resident; Mat filled them in on the local beaches, eateries, shopping malls, etc.

**5:00 PM – Akihabara Performance Stage**

"Killer digs," Mat commented, looking at the spacious stadium.

"I know," said Melissa. "Now come on, we gotta save Dawn!"

The spies spread out and checked the seats and stage for any more clues, or maybe find Dawn if possible.

"Oh, here's the surround sound speakers," Marnie said to Sam.

"Excellent," Sam quipped.

"Guys, I think Dawn was just here," Alex called out near one of the exits.

The spies came to Alex, as did Marnie and Ruri. Nick was the first to see what Alex found that belonged to Dawn.

"That's her cap, all right," Nick quipped as he picked up Dawn's cap that was emblazoned with the symbol of a Poké Ball. After all, Dawn was a pretty big Pokémon nut when she was younger.

"Well, she should be nearby then," said Britney, showing some optimism.

The spies then heard a scream.

"That's Clover!" Sam exclaimed.

"And I don't need three guesses to figure out who just cornered her," said Nozomi.

"It's that Phil Jenkins guy again!" Mat growled, remembering he spy-napped Sam. "Come on, guys!"

"Looks like he's baiting her with a Ricky Mathis album, too!" Alex exclaimed.

"Not if I can help it," said Mat, reaching for a gadget.

"I'm helping, too, Mat," said May.

Nick was already on it and fired a psychic shot to disrupt Phil's concentration after Mat and May fired a shot themselves, May using the laser lipstick, and Mat the expandable cable bungee belt to get Clover out of there.

"Thanks, Mat," said Clover, giving Mat a pat on the shoulder.

"Well, if it isn't the bothersome spies again," Phil taunted.

"And you reached a new low after spy-napping my girlfriend!" Mat exclaimed. "You just went lower than that! And I seriously didn't think there was anything lower!"

"All right, you..." Nick growled. "WHERE'S DAWN?!"

(Written by **The Blue Time Ranger**)

"Like I'd be foolish enough to tell you that," Phil laughed.

"I'm only warning you one more time, _buddy_," Nick proclaimed. "You _do not_ want to make me angry. _Bad things _have happened to superbads who've angered me."

"I hold all the cards here, boy," Phil laughed. "You won't be lucky this time around."

Mat just smirked in response. "Oh, but we've got some advantages that we didn't have last time we stomped you."

"One, the superior numbers," Haruka stated. "There's twelve of us now, as opposed to just five. And two... Nick, if you will?"

"With _pleasure_," Nick responded, crossing his arms across his chest, then throwing them outwards and letting his psychic aura explode to life around him. Nick definitely got some amusement of Phil's shocked expression.

"W-wait, wait, what did he just do?" Ruri gasped.

"Long story," Marnie giggled.

"Now do you wanna retract that stupid statement, you washed-up has-been?!" Nick shouted.

"Oh, to hell with this," Phil proclaimed. "Ladies, get him!"

Five figures charged out from behind a nearby stage prop and rushed to attack Nick. One of them was Dawn, but Nick didn't initially recognize the other three.

"Oh, crapbaskets, he's got the rest of Idol Opportunity, too!" May shouted.

"Wait, so who's who?" Sam asked.

"The girl with the dyed silver hair is Saitou, the girl with the long, _really_ white hair is Samui, the girl with long orange hair and glasses is Sonia, and the last one..." May explained, only to stop short when she got a good look at the last girl in the group. "Holy _crap_, that's Kanami! What the heck is _she_ doing here?!"

"You... you even took Kanami for your sick little plans?!" Marnie shouted. "Is there _no low_ you won't sink to?!"

"Well, when you're out for revenge, nothing's really 'crossing a line' to villains," Phil laughed. "Now, ladies, _end_ these pathetic spies!"

All five girls charged for Nick at the same time in an attempt to dog-pile on him, but Nick spread his hands out and unleashed a short-range psychic pulse that sent them all flying backwards.

"Girls, get the speakers ready and start playing the song!" Nick shouted. "I'll hold them off!"

"Roger that!" Alex exclaimed as the rest of the spies moved towards the stage, even as Phil moved in to block their way.

"Out of our way," Bridget stated.

"Oh, and what will you do if I don't?" Phil laughed.

Phil wasn't laughing anymore when Sam moved in and slugged him in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain long enough for Mat to continue the attack with a sweeping kick that knocked Phil over. Sam finished with a sliding kick that sent Phil tumbling backwards.

"That's for what you did to us last time," Sam proclaimed.

"Bridget, get up there quickly! You're the fastest, after all," Melissa exclaimed.

"On it!" Bridget stated. _"Sonic Mode Online!"_

Bridget opened up her X-Powder and typed a few codes into it, causing her body to glow with a soft green light. When it cleared, her spy suit had been replaced by a synthetic green, cybernetic-esque track suit with glowing neon lines, and her hair came loose from its braids and fell down to about her waist.

Before Ruri or Marnie could question what was happening, Bridget took Dawn's X-Powder from May and dashed like lightning over to the main stage in barely a split-second.

"Wow, you people are really full of surprises, aren't you?" Marnie giggled.

Nick leaped between opponents as quickly as he could, hoping to take each one down while doing as little damage as possible. It _definitely_ didn't help that they were now resorting to just swarming him.

As distracted as he was by pushing Kanami backwards, Nick failed to notice Dawn pouncing on him from behind until it was too late.

"Oh, come on, Dawn, this 'cat pounce' shtick is getting _really_ old!" Nick shouted.

"All right, we're hooked up!" Bridget shouted.

"Play that funky music, girl!" May exclaimed.

Bridget pressed a button on her X-Powder to activate the loudspeakers, which began blaring a reversed version of Dreamer's Ballad across the entire stage.

All five girls immediately lurched to a complete halt when the song began playing. Dawn shook her head to clear out the mental cobwebs, then looked down at Nick with honest confusion on her face.

"Um, Nick?" Dawn asked. "Why am I pinning you down like a cat to its prey?"

"Honestly, long story," Nick laughed, leaping up to hug his cousin. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Awww, you," Dawn giggled.

"Wait, where'd Phil go?" Alex asked.

"Aw, damn it, did he slink off while we weren't watching him?!" Clover shouted. "Why do they _always _do that?!"

"Rules for villains, number twelve," Haruka replied. "If they aren't watching you, that's a good time to hit the bricks."

"We'll get him eventually," Sam replied. "Mat and I got to pound him one for the last time, so I'm satisfied for the moment."

"Yeah, I think priority one at the moment is making sure Marnie's bandmates are doing okay," Mat quipped.

"I definitely second that," Marnie proclaimed as the rest of Idol Opportunity came to their senses.

(From **Mat49324**)

"Great plan, Sammy," Alex quipped. "It worked like a charm."

"And you wonder why I love this girl," said Mat and gave Sam a shoulder hug and kiss on the cheek, which made her blush. "I think how we spent last night really helped us out in some way."

"No disagreements there," said Sam.

"Okay, that's step one down in the meantime," said Clover.

May and Haruka were busy near the other members of Idol Opportunity that were still sorting themselves out; May was able to contain her excitement at being that close to them.

"How about you, Dawn?" Bridget asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," said Dawn as Melissa came to her aid.

"That's good," said Mat as he and Britney came, too.

"Right," said Nozomi. "We saw you with your headphones on and listening to that song and then you just went off, totally mesmerized."

"Do you remember anything else?" Sam asked.

"Maybe anything from when you were in your trance?" added Melissa.

"Not much, really," Dawn admitted. "But I _did_ hear something along the lines of 'they don't deserve it' and 'you won't ruin her chance' while I was under. I wonder if it's connected to whoever our main baddie is?"

The spies looked on at May and Haruka, who had just gotten the last of the Idol Opportunity members to her feet.

"What the heck just happened?!" Kanami exclaimed.

"Long story short," said Marnie. "Some wacko hypnotized you with our own music."

"Your own Dreamer's Ballad track, to be exact," Ruri added. "And this group of spies saved your backsides."

"HUH?!" Kanami exclaimed. "Dreamer's Ballad?! You're kidding! I thought all that was lost in the crash!"

"Apparently T-Bone and/or Phil Jenkins may likely be responsible for that," said Nick.

"Wait, who?" asked Saitou.

"The two music-based villains who did this to you," Mat pointed out.

"Ick!" Sonia exclaimed.

"Well, in that case, we extend our gratitude to you kids for saving us," Samui quipped. "You wanna tell us who's who now that we have a chance?"

"The two who came to your aid are May and Haruka first of all," Marnie pointed out. "And May, reportedly, is our biggest fan."

"Nothing but the truth there," said May, not bothering to deny it.

Haruka ran through everyone's names; as expected, some of the Idol Opportunity members were pleasantly surprised at hearing Sam and Alex have steady boyfriends of their own in Mat and Nick respectively, and at hearing Mat is originally from Hawaii.

"Oh, yes, we're looking forward to our concert in Hawaii this fall," said Samui.

"Anyway, let's get a move on," said Nick.

"Yes," said Alex. "We've got two villains to apprehend!"

"They have to be close by," said May.

Unknown to anyone, someone had fired a shot from behind, which Mat was the first to notice. Luckily, he looked behind and saw it coming; Mat jumped high enough for the shot to miss him.

Another shot came, and Mat saw it was headed for Sam.

Mat dashed forward with all the speed he could muster, tackling Sam to the ground just in time for the second shot to go sailing over where Sam had just been standing.

Mat then helped Sam to her feet. "I think they found us," he said to the group.

"Rules for villains, number twenty-eight," said Nick. "Attack when your foes least expect it."

They saw Phil Jenkins had come back. Nick and May were ready for him, Nick flaring his psychic aura at whomever else was ready to make trouble to them.

"We better get Idol Opportunity somewhere safe," said Bridget.

"Haruka, Mat, and I can do that," Britney quipped.

The three of them set out to get the members of Idol Opportunity somewhere safe.

(Written by **The Blue Time Ranger**)

"All right, jerks, show yourselves so we can stomp you one!" May shouted.

Phil Jenkins and T-Bone complied, stepping out of the shadows to reveal themselves.

"Wait, _they're_ the nutballs who brainwashed us?!" Saitou exclaimed. "They look like bad punk rock rejects!"

"Basically," Alex giggled.

"We'll give you one more chance to surrender, spies," Phil proclaimed.

"Otherwise, it _won't_ be pretty," T-Bone stated.

"Um, buddy, I assume you saw what I did last time?" Nick shot back, his psychic aura flaring to life. "And I'm also going to assume you want _another_ beating?"

"Hold on, is he _glowing_?!" Sonia gasped.

"We'll explain when we're done here," Marnie replied.

Phil pulled out a large, bazooka-like device and aimed it for the spies, pulling the trigger to unleash a loud, booming sonic wave from the barrel. Despite the fact that it was so loud that most of the spies had to cover their ears, Nick projected a psychic barrier to disperse as much of the sound waves as he could.

"Sorry, want to try again?" Nick taunted.

Phil just grinned evilly in response, aiming the device up towards the rafters and firing another sonic boom from it. The sound waves did enough damage to crack the rafters and send a chunk of steel debris falling to the ground...

...right on top of May.

Nick didn't waste a second, thrusting his hand out to ensnare May in his psychic hold, then pulling his hand back to yank May away from the falling debris just in time. Nick reached out to catch May in his arms as she flew back.

"You okay there, May?" Nick asked.

"I almost wasn't," May replied, turning herself around so she could hug Nick tightly. "Thanks for saving my bacon, Nick."

"Any time, May," Nick replied.

"Those two seem really close," Samui quipped. "I'd almost think those two were an item if Alex hadn't already said she and Nick were an item."

"They're childhood friends, but they've gotten a _lot_ closer after one of our last missions," Mat explained. "Someone she really cared for was killed, and Nick was the one who helped her through it."

"Did you really think I'd just _let you_ try to crush one of my best friends?" Nick proclaimed, turning his attention to T-Bone and Phil. "Not a chance in _hell_! May, let's take 'em down."

"Oh, I'm _all_ for that," May giggled, shifting into a fighting stance. Together, Nick and May charged to attack Phil and T-Bone.

The two villains tried valiantly to defend themselves, but they were no match for Nick and May's superior skills, forced to stay on the defensive.

As Nick knocked Phil back with a psychic pulse, Phil again reached for his sonic bazooka, only for Nick to psychically yank it out of his hands and to the ground so he could stomp on it, smashing it in half.

"Your toy's broken, Phil," Nick taunted. "Wanna give it up?"

"Like _hell_ I will!" Phil exclaimed.

"Seriously, why are you so stubborn when you're clearly getting your keesters thrashed?!" May shot back.

"Rules for villains, number seven," Nick replied. "Never show weakness, even if it's clear you're getting destroyed."

May jumped to avoid a flying kick from T-Bone, only to latch onto the sleeve of his leg in mid-jump. When she landed, May used the momentum to spin T-Bone around her a couple times before throwing him into T-Bone, sending the two villains crashing to the ground.

"All right, assholes, start talking," Nick proclaimed. "There's someone else behind this, isn't there?"

"W-why would _we_ know that?" T-Bone gasped, still trying to save face.

"Oh, come off it," May shot back. "T-Bone was part of an _American_ band. What the heck kind of business would _he_ have trying to ruin the careers of _Japanese_ pop bands?! I didn't think even _you_ would be petty enough to mess with a band that does their own thing _halfway across the freakin' world!_"

"Also, how did you get a copy of Dreamer's Ballad?" Nick challenged. "Kanami said that she'd lost all the progress she'd made on that song in the car accident. Where in god's green smurf did _you_ numbnuts get your hands on it?!"

"That... would be me."

Before Nick could get a bead on the new challenger, another sonic boom erupted from just behind him and May, sending them sprawling to the ground.

"All right, who's the wise guy _this_ time?!" Bridget exclaimed.

A figure stepped out from the shadows of the main stage, revealing himself to be a slim, tired-looking young man with droopy, cyan eyes and thick black eyebrows. He had long, spiky, black-and-white hair which covered one side of his face and was tied in three ponytails, and was wearing a black and magenta shorts jumpsuit with a white jacket. He looked to be a good seven or eight years older than Marnie.

"Okay, who's _this_ fashion reject?" Clover wondered.

Marnie was the first one to reveal her shock at the identity of the new figure. "P-Piers?" Marnie gasped.

"Wait, is that our manager?" Ruri asked.

"M-My _brother_, too," Marnie replied. "Piers, what's going on? What's the meaning of this?!"

"You don't deserve them, Marnie," Piers responded. "All I ever wanted was for you to be successful in your life. And you just decided to let that glory go to your head by forming a _group_?"

"Piers, what are you _talking_ about?!" Marnie shouted. "I thought you were _happy_ I started making new friends after mom and dad left!"

"They're _poisoning _you, Marnie," Piers growled. "They're holding you back. You'll _never_ reach your full potential by hanging around with these _losers_!"

"Okay, jerk, who do you think you are telling your sister she can't have friends?!" Melissa shouted. "You're supposed to be _happy_ that your sister is such a superstar, loved and adored by so many people across the world!"

"At the cost of _neglecting me!_" Piers shot back. "You started spending less and less time with me, the brother who practically _raised_ you after our parents abandoned us!"

Piers raised his weapon, a sonic bazooka much like the one Phil had been wielding.

"I just want what's best for you, Marnie," Piers proclaimed, aiming the bazooka for the spies and firing, unleashing deafening sound waves that the spies had to cover their ears for, so as not to lose their hearing. "I'll destroy _anyone_ who threatens your happiness!"

Piers began to pivot the bazooka around, the sound waves destroying everything they touched until the main stage area was just a collection of wreckage.

"Don't think this is the end, you wretched _spies_!" Piers shouted, firing the bazooka to the ceiling one more time, and this time, the entire ceiling came crashing down.

"Um, ceiling's falling fast!" Haruka shouted.

"Oh, there's no _way_ we can outrun that, can we?!" Alex exclaimed.

Nick quickly made his move, dashing over to the rest of the spies and holding both of his hands towards the falling debris and projecting a massive psychic barrier to hold the collapsed ceiling up.

"Move, everyone! I don't know how long I can hold this!" Nick shouted. That was all the rest of the group needed to hear, beating feet to safe ground with the members of Idol Opportunity in tow.

When everyone else was clear, Nick looked up at his barrier, only to see it start to crack in many places.

"Oh, that's not good," Nick groaned.

Mat acted quickly, firing his own Expandable Cable Bungee Belt to grab Nick by his waist and pull him back towards them. When Nick tumbled to the ground in front of the spies, the psychic barrier finally shattered and let the debris fall to the ground.

"Thanks for the save, bro," Nick quipped, his psychic aura fading for the moment.

"No problem, Nick," Mat replied, helping Nick to his feet and fist-bumping him. "Considering how much you've saved _our_ bacon, I figured it was time we returned the favor."

"Sadly, the villain trio got away," Nozomi groaned.

"Hey, we'll get 'em," Alex replied. "We always do!"

While Sam opened her X-Powder to contact Jerry, May looked over at Marnie, wondering how she was taking it.

"You... you gonna be okay, Marnie?" May asked.

"...Piers practically raised me himself," Marnie answered. "I never revealed this to anyone, but... my parents were abusive. When he was old enough, he took me out of that nightmare so I could have a relatively normal life. When I broke into the idol business, he was so happy for me. I don't know what changed, or why he never told me how he really felt..."

Marnie's sadness turned to surprise when May hugged her.

"Hey, we've got your back, Marnie," May replied. "I refuse to let the leader of my favorite idol group fall into despair over this. We'll find your brother, and we'll stop him. We'll make him see reason one way or another."

Despite her confusion and frustration, Marnie couldn't help but smile as she hugged May back. "You really _are_ my biggest fan, aren't you?" Marnie giggled.

"And _as_ your biggest fan, I'm gonna help you!" May proclaimed. "That's what we do, after all!"

Marnie glanced back at the rest of the spies. She knew now that she had made the right call in enlisting their help.

_To be continued..._

* * *

_Next time on Totally Spies: Idol Hands..._

Nick: Well, this case just got personal for Marnie, it seems.

Alex: My question is, why exactly did Piers hire two villains we've already curb-stomped just to derail the careers of Marnie's competition?

May: Jeez-_ums_, I knew the idol industry could be competitive, but _this_ takes it to a whole new level!

Marnie: I'm not giving up on him. I know the big brother I remember is still in there somewhere.

Nick: Damn right, Marnie. As a big brother myself, I know that _very _well.

Melissa: Aw, you...

Bridget: All right, where to next?

Marnie: Maybe we should check Piers' office at our headquarters. We'll probably find some more clues there.

Nick: It's gonna be a wild one, next time on _Totally Spies: Idol Hands_, "Rise of the Danger Trio! Kanami's Great Comeback!"

Kanami: I didn't think of a catchphrase to end this preview... should I just wing it instead?


	2. Rise of the Danger Trio!

_Previously on Totally Spies: Idol Hands..._

"Thanks for the save, bro," Nick quipped, his psychic aura fading for the moment.

"No problem, Nick," Mat replied, helping Nick to his feet and fist-bumping him. "Considering how much you've saved _our_ bacon, I figured it was time we returned the favor."

"Sadly, the villain trio got away," Nozomi groaned.

"Hey, we'll get 'em," Alex replied. "We always do!"

While Sam opened her X-Powder to contact Jerry, May looked over at Marnie, wondering how she was taking it.

"You... you gonna be okay, Marnie?" May asked.

"...Piers practically raised me himself," Marnie answered. "I never revealed this to anyone, but... my parents were abusive. When he was old enough, he took me out of that nightmare so I could have a relatively normal life. When I broke into the idol business, he was so happy for me. I don't know what changed, or why he never told me how he really felt..."

Marnie's sadness turned to surprise when May hugged her.

"Hey, we've got your back, Marnie," May replied. "I refuse to let the leader of my favorite idol group fall into despair over this. We'll find your brother, and we'll stop him. We'll make him see reason one way or another."

Despite her confusion and frustration, Marnie couldn't help but smile as she hugged May back. "You really _are_ my biggest fan, aren't you?" Marnie giggled.

"And _as_ your biggest fan, I'm gonna help you!" May proclaimed. "That's what we do, after all!"

Marnie glanced back at the rest of the spies. She knew now that she had made the right call in enlisting their help.

* * *

(The pages constantly turn, no matter how long the reader takes. When one story ends, another story will inevitably start. In the end, there is only a new beginning.)

**Mat49324** and **The Blue Time Ranger** are proud to present:  
_Totally Spies!: __Idol Hands  
_**Story Rated:** T for Teen  
**Story Created:** December 26th, 2019

**Story Summary:** The seventh joint project between Mat49324 and The Blue Time Ranger, now collectively known as _Totally Spies: The New Adventures_. One seemingly normal day, a Japanese idol singer actually comes to W.O.O.H.P. voluntarily. The reason? Marnie would like the spies to investigate the disappearances of the other members of her music group Idol Opportunity. Knowing how competitive the industry can be, the spies once again set out for Japan to take on the case. Could the disappearances be linked to a rival idol group wanting to upstage Idol Opportunity, or is something more sinister behind the vanishing musicians?

**On Today's Episode: **With Marnie's brother Piers revealed as the main baddie behind the disappearance of Idol Opportunity, and possibly other rising idol groups, the spies investigate to see if they can figure out why Piers has turned to villainy just to protect his sister from the "competition". After all, according to Marnie, Piers had initially been happy when she broke into the idol business. What could have caused him to change so drastically?

**And Now, the Obligatory Disclaimer:** Mat49324 and The Blue Time Ranger do not own anything related to Totally Spies or any of its affiliations. It belongs solely to Marathon Media Group, Image Entertainment Corporation, Vincent Chalvon-Demersay, and David Michel. The only things of this story we DO own are any characters created by us truly for the story (in this case, Nick, Haruka, Bridget, May, Nozomi, Dawn, and Melissa on my side, and Mathew on his side). Any characters or things we don't own, we are just borrowing with no intent of copyright infringement, only for the entertainment of our readers. Besides, if we _did_ own Totally Spies, which we _don't_, why would we be writing fiction on a fan site?

**Extra Author's Note from The Blue Time Ranger:** I hoped I wouldn't have to say something like this, but here I go anyway: to all the idiots (you know who you are) who keep screeching that Mat and I are only using these stories as, and I quote, "sick obsessions", "lusting after fictional teenage girls", and "perverse fantasies", end quote, when you clearly don't read the stories, you only get _one warning_ before you get blocked. _Especially_ on my profile. Mat may have the patience to deal with you dumbbells, but **_I DO NOT_**. Reviews are supposed to be to help a writer improve, not a platform for morons to shill their own completely untrue visions of our stories. Anyways, enough venting and on with the show!

* * *

Episode 2: Rise of the Danger Trio! Kanami's Great Comeback!

"We appreciate the help, Marnie," said Nozomi.

"Totally," Clover quipped.

"Most of us may not have heard of you," said Mat. "But we always appreciate some extra help."

"And we can tell that wasn't the _real_ Piers either," said Nick. "We may have 2 MOs, but that won't stand in our way of victory!"

"You couldn't have said it better, Nick," said Alex to her boyfriend.

"And believe me," Dawn added. "Those two are gonna pay for hypnotizing me – _and then some!_"

"We haven't forgotten," said Melissa. "And we're gonna aid you, Dawn!"

"I'll second that," Sam quipped.

She was then looking at Mat, curious to ask Mat about something as thanks for him saving her life. Finally, she did.

"Mat, do you think you'd like to cuddle again after the mission like this morning?"

"Not gonna say no," said Mat to his girlfriend. "I totally enjoyed having the company of my girl around me, that's for sure."

Sam grinned at that as she got focused back on the mission.

"I think it's imperative that we stop them before Marnie and Ruri's concert tomorrow night," said Haruka.

"Whatever it takes to send these sons of bitches packing," said Mat. "I may prefer throwback bands, a little catchy J-Pop after this, and a little romance sprinkled in _my_ music, and local Hawaiian music stays in my heart, but certainly not this kind that puts us where Dawn was."

"Uh-huh," said May with a determined nod. "They wanna kill us? No way, no how!" She turned to Marnie again. "And as Mat said, we'll get these sons of bitches!"

"Well, this case just got personal for Marnie, it seems," Nick quipped.

"My question is, why exactly did Piers hire two villains we've already curb-stomped just to derail the careers of Marnie's competition?" Alex stated.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Alex," said Mat. "I think I lucked out a bit in finding Ruri's laptop earlier."

Britney nodded in agreement.

"Is that how you knew where to look for us?" Ruri asked, overhearing Mat and Alex. "My blog?"

"Yeah, but what else _could_ we have done?" Mat asked logically.

"Yeah, we had no idea until Marnie told us," Alex said.

"You _did _say that it was a little suspicious how we were all vanishing," Marnie answered.

"I guess it just didn't sink in until they got me, huh?" Ruri answered.

"Jeez-_ums_, I knew the idol industry could be competitive, but _this_ takes it to a whole new level!" said May.

"I'm not giving up on him!" Marnie exclaimed. "I know the big brother I remember is still in there somewhere."

"Damn right, Marnie. As a big brother myself, I know that _very _well!" Nick exclaimed.

"Aw, you..." Melissa quipped.

"Although my sister never got in trouble with others herself, I know the feeling, too," Mat added.

"All right, where to next?" asked Bridget.

"Maybe we should check Piers' office at our headquarters," Marnie suggested. "We'll probably find some more clues there."

**7:02 PM – Headquarters of Idol Opportunity (Piers' Office)**

The twelve spies looked around Piers' office for anything in particular.

"It'd be nice to know what to find," said Britney.

"Rules for villains, number thirty-eight," Nick quipped. "Don't make your clues specific for the others."

While the spies searched through Piers' office, and even outside the office to cover all bases, someone's X-Powder chirped again. It turned out to be Sam's X-Powder. Before Sam answered it, she looked on and saw Mat raise his eyebrows and give Sam a look to encourage her to tell in case that was her dad calling.

Sam got a break for the time being when Jerry's visage appeared on the screen.

"What's the word, Jerry?" Sam asked as the spies gathered.

"I've got the analysis of the song copy you sent me, spies," Jerry replied.

"You found out what's making people hypnotized?" Mat asked.

"It appears to be a variant of Phil Jenkins' hypnotizing music, implanted into the Dreamer's Ballad song," Jerry explained.

"Any idea how to divert things, Jer?" May asked.

"Apparently, it only works correctly if someone listens to it directly, via headphones or other listening devices," Jerry proclaimed.

"Which would explain why it didn't hypno-snare me when I played it for the group," May quipped. "I _totally_ called it!"

"So that's it, huh? Thanks, Jer," said Sam.

"You're welcome," Jerry quipped. "By the way, Sam, I was able to eliminate all 'suspicions' from your dad about your relationship with Mat. He still wants to hear it from you though."

"Huh?! Jerry, did you sneak a peek at my call log?!" Sam screamed, really pissed about it.

"I apologize about it, Sam, but I assure you, it was unintentional," said Jerry, keeping the serious look on his face. "Your mother tipped me off after earlier."

"Wait, _mom _told him?!" Sam exclaimed. "I thought I told her to keep it a secret!"

"Well, to be fair, I figured she'd at least tell her husband," Jerry answered.

"This is supposed to be why spies have to stay _secret_," Sam sighed.

"Sammy, you of all people know that we're not the best at 'secretive'," Alex giggled. "Remember when I blew our cover because I got so mad at how those Olympic trainer dudes were treating that lady?"

"I stomped on one of their backs when we got away, so I think that counts as 'retribution'," Nick laughed.

After Sam closed her X-Powder, the spies got back to work.

"So, what time is your concert tomorrow?" May asked Marnie.

"Around 7 PM," Marnie replied. "We'll also set up special passes for you and your buds if they'd like to attend, but we'll worry about that later."

(Sam's P.O.V.)

Shortly after that, my X-Powder chirped again, and I knew it was unlikely to be Jerry.

"Hello?"

"Sam, it's dad again," My dad replied.

"Dad?!" I exclaimed. "What is it?"

"Well, I hope this isn't a bad time," Dad started.

I looked upward and Mat must've seen what was going on with me. He gave me a nod as if to say, "Do what you gotta do."

"No," I said to him. "Is this about earlier?" I asked.

"Yes," said Dad. "Until you hung up on me..."

"Yeah, sorry about that," I said sheepishly before I summoned my courage and told dad about my sweetheart of a boyfriend.

"Yes, I heard," said Dad. "Your mom told me what he's done for you; I must say I'm impressed."

"You... are?" I asked.

"Of course," said Dad. "I was totally blown away when mom said he made dinner for you!"

"Y-Y-Yeah," I said, nearly embarrassed. "Mat's a total sweetie, dad – I'm lucky to have him."

As I went on, I started feeling better, but I didn't bring up how many times we'd slept in each other's beds – even if Mat and I kept things clean each time; I hoped he wouldn't though. It _was_ true however – Mat never even touched or tried to remove my PJs or my clothes for that matter. Last night was the only time he took _anything_ off me – I'd had my hair in a ponytail and Mat undid it just as we had fallen asleep on the couch; I didn't mind it one bit.

I looked on at Mat, who was searching around; I could see the "Vuillemin 12" on his back; I remembered hearing that name and Mat speaking about that from when we watched the Daytona Supercross with him and that was David Vuillemin, one of Mat's Supercross heroes. **(Author's Note from Mat49324: You'll find this reference in our 3****rd**** project, **_**Disillusioned Memories**_** on Nick's profile page.)**

"You know, your mom was right," Sam's father stated. "You really found a winner, didn't you?"

"I sure did," Sam giggled. "He's a wonderful guy. But, one more thing, dad. This whole 'spy' thing has to stay between us, got it? Mom only knows because she got caught up in one of our cases, so..."

"Don't worry, dear, I know how to keep a secret," Sam's father answered. "I kinda want to meet him when you get back from your current case. Would that be okay?"

"You bet, dad," Sam replied. "I promise I'll call you back once we're done here, okay?"

"Right," Sam's father proclaimed. "See you later, Sammy."

And with that, the call ended.

"Whew, that... actually went better than I expected," Sam sighed.

"I'm proud of ya, Sam," Mat stated, shuffling over to rest his hand on Sam's shoulder. "I knew you could tell him."

"That's honestly always the part we teenagers dread when we get a significant other," Sam admitted. "Telling our parents. Because we're never sure how they'll react to the news."

"Speaking of parents, I might as well clear the air with _my_ dad," Alex answered.

"Need some support, Alex?" Nick asked.

"It'd definitely help," Alex answered. "I'm actually gonna video-call him, since I did promise to introduce you next time he called."

"Go for it," Nick replied. "I'll be by your side every step of the way."

Alex readied herself and tapped the number into her X-Powder, then pressing the button to make it a video call.

"Hello? Oh, it's you, honey," Alex's father proclaimed once he'd appeared on the screen. "Is it time for me to finally meet your boyfriend?"

Before Alex could answer, Nick slid into view. "Hey there, mister... Alex's dad," Nick proclaimed. "Alex said you wanted to meet me?"

"Actually, yes," Alex's father responded. "Alex has apparently had a lot of good things to say about you."

"Well, dad, they're all true," Alex replied. "Nick's been one heck of an awesome boyfriend. I guess I was just worried because... well, like Sammy said, teenagers always dread telling their parents about their boyfriends or girlfriends since you never know how they'll react."

With that, Alex began telling her father about many of the escapades that she and Nick had gone on as boyfriend and girlfriend, with Nick filling in as many blanks as he could about their recent adventures. (Like with Sam's father, Carmen had, with Jerry's approval, told Alex's father about their status as spies.)

"It definitely seems like you've found a winner, Alex, especially with all the times he's come to your rescue," Alex's father stated.

"Hey, no way in heck would I leave my girlfriend in the lurch," Nick responded.

"So, now that we've done the meet and greet, can I _actually_ meet him in person once you all get back from your case?" Alex's father asked.

"That sounds fun, dad," Alex replied. "I'll call you when we're on our way back, how's that sound?"

"Sounds perfect to me!" Alex's father laughed. "I'll see you when you get home, dearie."

"You, too, dad. Alex out."

"You pulled it off with aplomb, Alex," Nick teased.

"Yeah, that wasn't as scary as I thought," Alex giggled. "And hey, now he knows you, so hopefully that'll make things much less awkward when the time comes..."

May couldn't help but smile at the sight of the two couples hugging it out.

But on the inside, she continued to remember what she had thought the night after their mission in Tachikawa.

'_Heh... I love you, Nick. That'll be my secret.'_

Shaking her head to clear _those_ thoughts, May decided to stash that thought away for some other time. Now wasn't the time to be entertaining _those_ thoughts, even if she knew the secret would get out sooner or later.

"Did you guys find anything?" May asked.

"The only thing out of place seems to be this strange glowing CD," Saitou quipped, holding the offending CD up so the spies could see.

"Oh, funderful," Haruka groaned. "That means Phil's behind Piers' swinging opinions on what his sister's been doing."

"Is he really that vindictive that he'd try to ruin our careers like that?" Samui asked.

"Oh, if only you've met some of the lunatics we've faced," Clover giggled.

A loud explosion caught the entire group off guard.

"...the heck was _that_?!" Sonia shouted.

"Sounds like we've got company," Nozomi answered.

"Do they have to make things _explode_?!" Ruri exclaimed.

"Rules for villains, number forty-one," Haruka answered. "Always make a flashy or dramatic entrance when it's time to fight."

"Well, then let's not disappoint and head out to meet our baddies!" May proclaimed as the spies rushed out to confront the villains, with Idol Opportunity not far behind.

As the smoke cleared, Piers and Phil came into view of the twelve spies and Idol Opportunity. Marnie was obviously the most upset.

"How dare you turn my brother against me after the life I've had!" Marnie exclaimed at Phil.

"Who gives a crap, anyway?!" Phil retorted. "_He_ certainly doesn't."

"_You did THAT yourself..._ FYI!" May exclaimed and charged at Phil.

"Big mistake, little girl," Phil sneered.

"Wanna bet?" May quipped as she reacted quickly to Phil's attack.

"Allow me to help, too!" Dawn added, assisting May.

Phil brought out a smaller weapon, resembling a futuristic laser pistol, aiming it for Dawn and May and firing a blast of purple light towards them. The two spies jumped to either side to avoid the blasts, then lunged forward to tackle Phil to the ground.

"Get off of me!" Phil shouted, pushing Dawn and May off.

"You're wide open!" Bridget quipped as she activated Sonic Mode and wailed on Phil.

In the end, Phil was shocked at what just happened.

"Nice move, girls!" Nozomi cheered.

"Totally!" Melissa added.

"My turn now," said Nick as his psychic aura flared.

"Don't think you'll get the drop on me!" Phil exclaimed, only for Nick to reach out and ensnare Phil in his psychic hold.

"Um, I just did," Nick taunted, yanking Phil off of the platform so he could attack, only for May to run up and punch Phil directly in the stomach, sending him tumbling backwards.

"Let's hurry though," Haruka quipped. "We better make sure we wrap this up and not give him a chance to mesmerize concertgoers tomorrow."

"Good point," said Clover. "Like hell are we going to let that happen!"

"That's _MY FAVORITE BAND_ you're messing with!" May continued. "And when you do that, you mess with something close to my heart!"

"I'm gonna second that," said Mat. "I would not try this same thing with music from Hawaii either, buddy boy!"

"I'm with Mat on that," said Alex and came to aid Mat. "Especially with Hawaii as my dream destination!"

"Make it three for the aid here," said Sam in full support of her boyfriend.

"And four, counting me," said Clover. "Even though one of our last visits to Hawaii turned into a flop mission before."

Sam and Alex fully remembered well what Clover meant – they'd been sent to Hawaii on vacation courtesy of Jerry, and then jetted off to Iceland with nothing but their swimsuits on after having bombed the track meet and relaxing in Sam's hot tub at her house prior to being WOOHPed. **(Author's Note from Mat49324: Remember season 1's "The Getaway"?)**

"I know," said Mat. "And I was the only one who was physically hurt myself prior from my motocross race I tried for fun during their track meet. Obviously Jeremy McGrath's luck from Indy 2000 didn't work for any of us then."

"Yeah, you were telling us, too," Sam added.

"And Mat's leg looked pretty bad, too then," said Haruka, remembering _that _particular incident. **(Author's Note from Mat49324: I know this didn't happen on the show, but this is where we can get a little creative. Haha.)**

Sam nodded and remembered she had to help Mat into her hot tub a bit; on the other hand, Alex didn't think about how she "fell for a dork" as she put it.

"All right, spies," said Nick as he fired up his psychic aura. "It's time we saved Piers."

"You're doomed to failure," Piers taunted.

"Oh, I don't think so," said Britney with a smirk.

"Uh-huh," said Sam with a smirk of her own. "Now that my personal matter is sorted out, I've got a clear enough mind to say that YOU are doomed to failure!" she added, pointing at Phil and Piers.

"I'm standing by my girl on this," Mat quipped. "And we haven't finished giving you what you rightfully deserve after the last time we encountered you..."

"And you're gonna reverse _whatever_ you did to Piers before we have to _actually_ hurt you," Nick proclaimed.

"Like I'd do that!" Phil laughed. "Do you know who I am?!"

Phil was suddenly blasted back by a Final Shine Attack to the chest.

"Um, do _you_ know who _we _are?!" Nick shot back even as Phil recovered and rushed forward to begin the battle.

Clover and Mat did a tag team on Piers and Phil. They managed to backflip away from them, but when both used their expandable cable bungee belts to save themselves from harm, the beam Mat latched onto began to give way and break.

"MAT!" Sam screamed and had to act fast.

"I gotcha covered, Sammy!" Clover exclaimed as she and Sam activated their Jetpack Backpacks to fly through the air quickly and push Mat away from the collapsing beam.

"Oof, that was too close," Mat quipped. "Thanks for keeping me from becoming a pancake, girls."

"Always happy to help, Mat," Sam giggled.

"Yeah, you're our buddy, after all!" Clover laughed.

Phil continued to fire blasts from his laser pistol towards Nick, who kept raising barriers to deflect each blast.

"Gonna have to try harder than _that_," Nick taunted.

Piers then threw a small, grenade-like device towards Nick. Remembering what had happened last time, Nick quickly snatched the device in his psychic grip, then tossed it into the air, where it exploded and released an _extremely _loud sonic boom, though thankfully it was too high up to be of much trouble to the spies.

"Sorry, Piers but I've already fallen for _that_ nonsense before," Nick proclaimed. "You're not getting me with that again."

In response, Piers leaped down from his perch and rushed in to attack Nick head-on, only for Marnie to place herself in front of Nick.

"Marnie, get back! Who knows what he's going to do?!" Nick exclaimed.

Piers launched into a forward kick, only for Marnie to raise both of her arms to block the kick, then retaliate with a leg sweep that knocked Piers off of his feet.

"Snap _out of it,_ Piers!" Marnie exclaimed.

"_You're_ the one who needs to snap out of it, Marnie," Piers shot back, trying to punch Marnie in the head, only for her to duck under the punch. "They're holding you back! All they care about is using your popularity to advance their own careers!"

Before Piers could continue his rant, he found himself getting struck in the back by a flying kick and sent tumbling to the ground.

To Piers' surprise, he saw that the one who had attacked him was Ruri.

"Shows what you know of us when you're all brainwashed," Ruri growled before charging in to attack Piers. "Remember, I've known Marnie for most of my life, and when she decided to be an idol, I decided to do the same thing so I could support her!"

"Yeah, Marnie's our _friend_, first and foremost," Saitou responded, making her own move on Piers.

"I don't know what _lies_ this Phil guy planted in your mind, but he clearly has no idea of the bond we all share!" Sonia shouted.

"That's right," Samui proclaimed, running over to snatch Piers from behind and keep him from moving. "We're friends through and through. Even if Idol Opportunity doesn't last, that fact will _never_ change!"

"While we have you all caught up, do you want to explain how you still have a copy of Dreamer's Ballad?!" Kanami shouted. "I thought everything about that song was lost in the car accident!"

"You seriously don't remember, Kanami?" Piers replied. "I had secretly saved a copy for myself in case you ever came back, so you could get back to it."

"Is that how _you_ got your hands on it, Phil?!" Sam shouted.

"Naturally," Phil answered. "With that song in hand, I modified it so it would brainwash anyone who listens to it directly. And even though you may have broken my hold on Idol Opportunity, this isn't the end of my plans. After all, isn't Marnie hosting a concert tomorrow night?"

"You wouldn't _dare_," Nick growled, his psychic aura flaring.

"You're _not_ perverting my own masterpiece for your own wicked plans!" Kanami growled.

"Try and stop us!" Phil laughed, only for Kanami to walk up while Phil was indulging in his stereotypical evil laughter and slug him in the stomach, much like Marnie and Sam had already done to him.

"Wow, _everyone_ seems to want to punch Phil in the gut today, huh?" Bridget giggled.

"After what he did, he deserves _all_ the gut punches!" May proclaimed.

Piers spun around to break Samui's hold on him before throwing something to the ground that swallowed the entire area in a bright flash. When it dissipated, Phil and Piers had made their escape.

"Oh, for crying out loud, how many baddies are going to do that to us?!" Clover shouted.

"Rules for villains, number fourteen," Haruka answered. "Always use underhanded tactics to make your escape, and if that doesn't work, use a flashbang. It always works, sadly."

"Is he _seriously_ going to brainwash our fans at the concert?" Samui asked.

"Unless we stop him before that happens," Alex answered.

"And how do you propose we do that?" Ruri asked. "_Especially_ when our stage got completely trashed?"

Nick just smiled, his right hand glowing brightly. "Did I mention psychic powers make for excellent room-fixers?" Nick proclaimed. "I'll help you all fix up the stage and then we'll discuss a plan of attack."

"Can I help you guys?" Kanami asked. "I know it's been a while, but..."

"Of _course_, Kanami," Marnie answered. "What kind of friends would we be otherwise?"

And so, while Nick used his psychic powers to move the debris from the battle and fix up the stage as best he could, the spies and Idol Opportunity convened to discuss how they were going to stop Phil's plan.

"Wait, what if he plays that wacked version of my song at the concert?" Kanami asked. "That'll hypnotize everyone for sure!"

"Actually, I had an idea about that," Nick replied once he'd rejoined the group. "Why don't we brainstorm lyrics for an _English_ version of the song?"

"Wow, that's actually a good idea, Nick!" Marnie responded. "You still remember the lyrics, Kanami?"

"How could I forget them?" Kanami giggled. "Hold on, doesn't one of _you_ have a copy of Dreamer's Ballad, too?"

"That would be me," Dawn answered. "When we came to the stage the first time to investigate, I found a flash drive with a copy of the song, but I got brainwashed by it, since it was the one Phil laced with his hypno-crap. It's still on my X-Powder, but thankfully it doesn't hypnotize unless you listen to it via headphones, so I think we'll be okay. I'll ask Jerry if he can take out the hypnotizing part of the file just in case."

"One last question, Kanami," Marnie asked. "Do you... do you feel up to performing at our concert tomorrow night? I don't know if you've... well..."

Kanami answered that question by walking up and hugging Marnie.

"For my favorite group of friends, I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Kanami proclaimed confidently. "I won't let my music be used in some crazy scheme."

"All right, everyone, let's get working on this song!" May exclaimed.

"By the way," said Alex to Kanami. "How far in the song did you get before it was lost?"

"Or did you finish it all before the song got lost?" asked Bridget.

"Well, I remember finishing the lyrics, at least," Kanami answered. "We never really got around to working on the music part of it before the accident, though."

"Regardless," said May. "I'm not letting this be the end of Idol Opportunity."

"None of us will," Haruka quipped.

"Dawn, did Dreamer's Ballad sound like it was completed?" Mat asked. "Do you remember?"

"I heard the lyrics just fine, but like Kanami said, not really the music," Dawn answered. "I'm willing to bet that Kanami's original recording of the lyrics were the copy that Piers said he saved."

"Well, with that, let's get to our plan," said Melissa.

"Okay," said Nick. "I got something worked out myself."

"All right, let's hear it," said Clover.

"I just asked Dawn for her earphones," said Nick. "If we can get them over Piers' ears, and then play Dreamer's Ballad in reverse, maybe we can save Piers and make him come to his senses."

"If it works, I'm all for it," Marnie quipped.

"What about Phil?" Nozomi asked.

"I'm getting there," said Nick.

As Nick went on with his plan, Sam even caught on and improvised once or twice; Clover did, too. On the other hand, Mat tuned out some of Nick's explanation and went away for a quiet moment. Sam saw this and went after him.

"Everything okay?" Sam asked Mat.

"Yeah," said Mat. "I guess that beam giving way kinda made my heart race a bit until you and Clover came to my rescue.

"We'd do it again, Mat," said Sam. "Especially after the last time with James. I didn't say this to you, Mat, but... you _REALLY_ impressed me knowing those venues that James retreated to and from."

"Well, I guess that's one time where my Supercross knowledge paid off," Mat quipped.

"Mm-hmm," said Sam in agreement. "Maybe I oughta quiz you on my science and physics subjects..."

That caught Mat's attention.

"No way, Sam," Mat replied. "Girlfriend... that may be where over 90% of my respect for you comes from, but I seriously _would not_ touch your subjects with a fine-tooth comb unless I have to. I'd like to think we're on the same page IQ-wise to some extent, though."

"Yeah, you did surprise me the other day you watched _Jeopardy!_ and named several authors' works," Sam replied.

"Well I can thank my dad for knowing a lot of this and that," Mat quipped. "I guess I sorta picked up on it as I was growing up."

"So..." Sam replied, changing the subject. "You okay with cuddling in my room after the mission?"

"You know, I thought you'd never ask," said Mat. "I'm totally fine with it... and don't worry, I know my boundaries, especially with your dad coming to meet me, and Alex's dad coming to meet Nick."

"Mm-hmm," said Sam. "And I'll stand by you for life, Mat."

"I'm glad you brought that up, too, Sam," said Mat. "I know we almost lost each other when my parents went home, but I also want you to know that I didn't stay because of you only, I stayed because I haven't had friends like you _ever!_ If I lose you all, I might as well pack my bags, quit WOOHP, and head home to Hawaii; losing you would be _THE BIGGEST_ blow to me though."

Sam noted that and grabbed Mat's hand.

"Believe me, Mat, that _won't_ happen... _ever!_" Sam assured. "Alex said it best – you and I are a match made in Heaven."

"Totally," said Mat. "And I'm glad to know I got new friends who care... and true love in the form of you."

Sam knew Mat was specifically referring to his "Supercross Heartbreak" at Vegas.

"Speaking of which," Mat went on. "I don't suppose you'd like to... go out again before the time when I take you out to dinner one day?"

"No need to ask, Mat," said Sam with a grin. "I'm totally saying 'yes' to that. Anything in mind?"

"Honestly, I thought I'd let you decide this time since our last date was the walk we took after stopping Professor Genesis, and I'd offered it to you," Mat deduced.

"Okay, I'll let you know," said Sam.

The two then went back to the group and caught wind of the conclusion of Nick's plan.

"Well, now that Nick's repaired the stage," said Melissa. "Our plan will CERTAINLY send Phil Jenkins back to the drawing board."

"Good timing," said Britney to Mat and Sam. "Nick suggested Alex and I team up with you two for his plan."

"Okay, what's the low-down?" Mat asked.

"We're gonna split into three teams of four each," Nick explained. "The first team's going to wait to play our new version of Dreamer's Ballad in case Phil hijacks the speakers, which I'm pretty sure he will. Team two's going to keep an eye out for Piers so we can snap _him_ out of it. And team three's going to make sure there aren't any _more_ surprises, like mister T-Bone."

"Oh, crap, I _totally_ forgot about him!" Bridget gasped.

"Let's do this," said May.

With that, the spies split up into three groups of four each to execute Nick's plan.

During the time, Mat snuck a peek at Sam and grabbed her hand.

_I love this girl... more than anything ever. Everyone is the reason why I'm not willing to go back... unless there's a mission._

"Hey, Nick?" Alex asked.

"What's up, Alex?" Nick replied.

"I just wanna say... well, thanks for always having my back," Alex stated. "Considering how worried I was when _mom_ found out about you, I honestly expected history to repeat itself with dad..."

"It's like I said, that's always the hardest part of teenagers getting a significant other," Nick answered. "You often wonder how their parents are gonna react."

Nick took a few steps closer so he could hug Alex. "But you know that I'm always gonna be there for you, whether it's helping you against some random joe-schmoe bad guy or just being a loving and supportive boyfriend like I promised to you when I confessed."

"And you _never_ break your promises," Alex giggled as she and Nick leaned in for a kiss. "Now let's go stomp this wacko."

"By all means," Nick quipped.

**6:57 PM, The Next Day - Idol Stadium, Akihabara**

"Wow, this is one heck of a crowd," Nozomi stated as the last few concert-goers took their seats, waiting patiently (well, mostly, if that one fidgeter in the top row was any indication) for Idol Opportunity to take the stage for their latest concert.

"When it comes to popular idols, you get used to it quickly," May answered.

"Is everyone in position?" Nick asked through his X-Powder. Everyone else responded with an affirmative. "All right, remember the plan. I'm pretty sure Phil's going to wait until they start singing Dreamer's Ballad to try his shtick, and that's when we intercept him. The other teams know what to do."

Seven o'clock sharp finally rolled around, and the stadium darkened quickly.

"Showtime," May quipped.

After a minute of shuffling around, the lights flared to life, illuminating the main stage and revealing the members of Idol Opportunity, clad in their flashy and elaborate idol outfits. The gathered crowd began cheering (_very loudly_) as the main event began.

"Hello, Akihabara!" Marnie exclaimed, gesturing to the crowd. "Who's ready for some new music?!"

A louder cheer answered her back.

"All right, then, let's get started!" Samui proclaimed.

"That's usually my line, isn't it?" Marnie teased.

"Hey, why stick to one single tradition, right?" Samui admitted.

"Good point," Marnie giggled before turning back to the crowd. "Okay, since I _just_ put out a new single, we're gonna start tonight's big show with that! And don't worry, our _big surprise _will be coming very soon, so just kick back and enjoy the show, everybody!"

**("Netsujou no Spectrum" by Ikimono-gakari plays)**

As Idol Opportunity sang their newest single, the three teams kept vigil over the stadium and the crowd, waiting for their opportunity.

Team one, consisting of Sam, Alex, Mat, and Britney, watched unseen from the rafters, scanning the crowd for any signs of _additional _trouble. ("We'll be fine," Alex had said. "People here, they don't look up.")

Team two, consisting of Nick, May, Nozomi, and Melissa, were waiting backstage to play their new English version of Dreamer's Ballad when Phil struck. And, naturally, May was excitedly bopping back and forth to the song that Idol Opportunity was singing.

Team three, consisting of Dawn, Bridget, Haruka, and Clover, were actually in the crowd, keeping an eye out for Piers. Dawn was wearing a pair of Heat Sensor 6000 Infrared Motion Detector Sunglasses so she could find Piers through the crowd.

They had explained to Marnie that, since they wanted to re-introduce Kanami to the band, it mostly likely meant that, as Nick had said, Phil would wait until Kanami was introduced and prepared to sing Dreamer's Ballad so Phil could instead play his hypnotizing version. That would be when team two would move in.

_Any minute now,_ Nick thought, waiting for Marnie's particular signal to get ready.

_To be concluded..._

* * *

_Next time on Totally Spies: Idol Hands..._

Marnie: Is everyone enjoying the show?!

Crowd: YEAH!

Marnie: That's great, because now we've got a special surprise for all of you!

Nick: All right, everyone, we're on.

Alex: Um, Nick, we may have a problem here.

Nick: What, did Phil bring backup?

May: Yeah, something along the lines of a _GIANT FREAKIN' MEGAZORD!_

Nozomi: Hold on, is that giant robot made out of a _concert stage_?! How does _that _work?! And where'd they get the _money_ for it?!

Haruka: Rules for villains, number sixty-two: always go overboard if you have to use a giant robot.

Clover: How many rules _are_ there?!

Haruka: Oh, I could go all day.

Nick: Hey, it's going after Kanami! Sorry, Phil, your sleazy ambitions are finished! We're takin' you down, next time on _Totally Spies: Idol Hands_, "Marnie and Piers' Clash! The Final Act Commences!"

May: Oh, we are _definitely _anime now, y'all! ...too cheesy for a preview?


	3. The Final Act Commences!

_Previously on Totally Spies: Idol Hands..._

"Hello, Akihabara!" Marnie exclaimed, gesturing to the crowd. "Who's ready for some new music?!"

A louder cheer answered her back.

"All right, then, let's get started!" Samui proclaimed.

"That's usually my line, isn't it?" Marnie teased.

"Hey, why stick to one single tradition, right?" Samui admitted.

"Good point," Marnie giggled before turning back to the crowd. "Okay, since I _just_ put out a new single, we're gonna start tonight's big show with that! And don't worry, our _big surprise _will be coming very soon, so just kick back and enjoy the show, everybody!"

As Idol Opportunity sang their newest single, the three teams kept vigil over the stadium and the crowd, waiting for their opportunity.

Team one, consisting of Sam, Alex, Mat, and Britney, watched unseen from the rafters, scanning the crowd for any signs of _additional _trouble. ("We'll be fine," Alex had said. "People here, they don't look up.")

Team two, consisting of Nick, May, Nozomi, and Melissa, were waiting backstage to play their new English version of Dreamer's Ballad when Phil struck. And, naturally, May was excitedly bopping back and forth to the song that Idol Opportunity was singing.

Team three, consisting of Dawn, Bridget, Haruka, and Clover, were actually in the crowd, keeping an eye out for Piers. Dawn was wearing a pair of Heat Sensor 6000 Infrared Motion Detector Sunglasses so she could find Piers through the crowd.

They had explained to Marnie that, since they wanted to re-introduce Kanami to the band, it mostly likely meant that, as Nick had said, Phil would wait until Kanami was introduced and prepared to sing Dreamer's Ballad so Phil could instead play his hypnotizing version. That would be when team two would move in.

_Any minute now,_ Nick thought, waiting for Marnie's particular signal to get ready.

* * *

(The pages constantly turn, no matter how long the reader takes. When one story ends, another story will inevitably start. In the end, there is only a new beginning.)

**Mat49324** and **The Blue Time Ranger** are proud to present:  
_Totally Spies!: __Idol Hands  
_**Story Rated:** T for Teen  
**Story Created:** December 26th, 2019

**Story Summary:** The seventh joint project between Mat49324 and The Blue Time Ranger, now collectively known as _Totally Spies: The New Adventures_. One seemingly normal day, a Japanese idol singer actually comes to W.O.O.H.P. voluntarily. The reason? Marnie would like the spies to investigate the disappearances of the other members of her music group Idol Opportunity. Knowing how competitive the industry can be, the spies once again set out for Japan to take on the case. Could the disappearances be linked to a rival idol group wanting to upstage Idol Opportunity, or is something more sinister behind the vanishing musicians?

**On Today's Episode: **Idol Opportunity's concert has begun, and so has Phil and Piers' big plan. Even if the spies can save Piers, Phil seems to have learned from at least _some_ of his past mistakes, and has a trump card ready to play. Can the spies defeat Phil, save Piers, and keep them from ruining the concert? And will May finally get the autograph she's been waiting for?

**And Now, the Obligatory Disclaimer:** Mat49324 and The Blue Time Ranger do not own anything related to Totally Spies or any of its affiliations. It belongs solely to Marathon Media Group, Image Entertainment Corporation, Vincent Chalvon-Demersay, and David Michel. The only things of this story we DO own are any characters created by us truly for the story (in this case, Nick, Haruka, Bridget, May, Nozomi, Dawn, and Melissa on my side, and Mathew on his side). Any characters or things we don't own, we are just borrowing with no intent of copyright infringement, only for the entertainment of our readers. Besides, if we _did_ own Totally Spies, which we _don't_, why would we be writing fiction on a fan site?

* * *

Episode 3: Marnie and Piers' Clash! The Final Act Commences!

"Who's still having fun tonight?" Marnie proclaimed, to which the entire crowd responded with an affirmative. "That's good to hear! Which most likely means it's time to unveil our super-secret surprise that we promised you all tonight!"

Marnie turned around and gestured towards the backstage area. "All right, Kanami, come on out!"

As the crowd began to gasp in shock and wonder if it was really happening, Kanami brushed down her idol outfit and walked out onto the main stage. Almost instantly, the crowd erupted in applause, and even a few excited calls of Kanami's name.

"I'm sure all our passionate fans know this by now, but Kanami left Idol Opportunity after a devastating car accident last year," Marnie explained. "But we've been in contact lately, and Kanami said she's ready to rejoin the group, and she'd like to sing a special song to commemorate this momentous occasion! All right, Kanami, the floor is _yours_!"

Unknown to anyone in the stadium (except the spies), Phil and Piers were watching from out of sight, waiting for their chance to strike.

Kanami smiled towards the crowd, then raised her microphone to her lips and began to sing.

"She's got an _amazing_ voice, huh?" May giggled.

"No kidding," Nick admitted.

Phil looked out to the crowd, only to balk when he noticed that no one looked hypnotized, despite the fact that a lot of them were swaying back and forth to the tune of Kanami's song.

"Wait, what's going on?" Piers asked.

"Heck if I know!" Phil shouted.

"I'm sure Phil's gotta be twitching in his proverbial seat that his plan just got shot to hell," Nozomi laughed.

"Just gotta wait for him to show up, _then_ we can stomp him," Nick quipped.

Once the song was over, the entire crowd erupted in thunderous applause, actually causing Kanami to blush.

"Thank you, everyone," Kanami giggled. "I'm so glad to be back with my friends to make music that'll make you all so happy..."

"You little _wretch_!"

Kanami spun around to see that, just as the spies had warned her, Phil was marching toward her, and he looked _mad as hell._

"How did you switch the songs?!" Phil growled, only to be frozen in place by Nick's psychic hold as he, May, Nozomi, and Melissa emerged from backstage.

"Honestly, dude, that's _your_ fault for practically _announcing_ your plans to us before you retreated," Nick shot back. "Seriously, that's the worst blunder a villain could ever make!"

"All right, spies, we're engaging Phil! Keep an eye out for our _other_ target!" Melissa proclaimed, tapping her earpiece to communicate to the other spies.

"Um... I don't think that's gonna be a problem," May replied, pointing towards the edge of the stage, where Piers was approaching with his fists raised.

"Your little charade _ends here_, Marnie," Piers proclaimed. "You're going to understand that these _people_ aren't meant for you, even if I have to drag you out of here myself!"

To everyone's surprise, Marnie raised her own fists into a fighting stance.

"Remember, Piers?" Marnie replied. "You taught me everything you know about self-defense. Don't think you're going to overpower me that easily!"

With that, Marnie and Piers rushed each other.

"Should we help them?" Nozomi asked.

"We've kinda got our own problem to deal with," Nick replied. "Let's make sure _this_ numbnut can't interfere before we go and assist Marnie."

"Don't think you'll win _this_ time, you wretched spies," Phil proclaimed.

"Oh, we'll see about that," May shot back.

"Why should I even be scared of you?" Phil taunted.

"Oh, I've got at least _one good reason!_" May quipped.

She reached behind her and pulled another anchor she happened to find backstage. Nick grinned at seeing May's Jellyfish Pirate side making a brief comeback.

"You wanna answer _that?!_" May shot back.

"Or do I have to double the fun?" Nick added as his psychic aura flared.

Phil still was not fazed.

"It'll take more than _one lousy boat anchor_ to stop..."

May did not let Phil complete his sentence and threw the anchor directly at him like a boomerang. Meanwhile, Sam, Alex, Britney, and Mat watched from the lights.

"Okay, May's got that down to a science," said Mat. "But I would not let myself live it down if her anchor injures someone."

"Good point, Mat," said Alex. "We better get down there and get the crowd to retreat to a safe place."

Simultaneously as they dropped down to the stage, Samui was already holding a microphone.

"Sorry for the delay, people, but we have an unexpected break here and now. We should have this matter sorted out shortly. Please file out in an orderly manner."

The crowd of people seemed to understand as they all filed out.

"Alex and I will lead 'em to safety," Sam quipped.

"Totally," Alex added. "We'll aid Clover and the others, too."

"And Mat and I will..." Britney started before Mat saw another development down below.

May was about to finish Phil off before another blast came directly at her and hit her. Nick and the others looked at who that was and it turned out to be T-Bone, holding Phil's pistol.

"OH, CRAP!" Haruka exclaimed. "T-Bone's back!"

"Unbelievable!" Mat exclaimed from up top. "I was just gonna say we'd better be ready for T-Bone, too!"

Instincts began to kick in for him.

"You two better get to Clover and the others to aid the other concertgoers outta here," Mat quipped to Sam and Alex. "Britney and I will give T-Bone a literal T-bone of his own!"

"You got it," Alex said, seeing eye-to-eye with Mat. "Come on, Sammy!"

With that, Britney and Mat maneuvered across the ceiling unseen until they were directly above T-Bone.

"All right, everybody out!" Bridget exclaimed. "We can take care of things here!"

"We're here for assistance!" Alex exclaimed.

"Oh, good," Haruka responded. "There's a _lot_ of people here, you know!"

"Wait, is this part of the show or are we really being invaded?" one of the concert-goers asked.

"We'll tell you when it's safe, so just move, move, MOVE!" Dawn exclaimed.

Meanwhile, T-Bone had managed to knock May's anchor away, which left her cornered.

"You're finished!" T-Bone sneered at May.

"Oh, you'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" May shot back.

Nick's psychic aura flared, but he looked up in time to see Britney and Mat dropping from the sky.

"Not if WE have anything to say about it," Britney quipped as she and Mat shared a high-five.

T-Bone tried to reach for Phil's pistol, but Nozomi reacted quickly.

"Not tonight, pal!" Nozomi quipped and kicked the pistol away.

"NOW you're done for!" Melissa exclaimed and used her laser lipstick to destroy Phil's pistol.

Simultaneously, Marnie had lost her fight with Piers, who darted off in the direction of the concertgoers... including the other six said spies.

"Uh-oh," said Britney.

T-Bone and Phil seemed to smirk at Piers' actions.

Clover and Dawn were then seen by the six present spies; they were running to them.

"Clover, Dawn!" Mat exclaimed. "What happened?!"

"Piers had a backup plan!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Nick, Mat, you're not gonna like this," Clover added. "But Piers got to Sam and Alex!"

"SAY WHAT?!" Nick and Mat gasped.

"What about the concertgoers?!" Nick screamed.

"Some of them got zapped, but not all of them," Dawn answered.

"Bridget and Haruka are trying to hold them at bay!" Clover exclaimed.

"Okay, _THAT'S_ crossing the line for both of us!" Mat growled.

"No doubt, bro!" Nick growled, too.

"We'll take you to them," said Clover and Dawn.

"And we'll keep these two in chains for as long as it takes," May quipped, having recovered her anchor.

Britney and Nozomi nodded at the new game plan. With that, Clover and Dawn led the way for the boys.

"GET US OUT OF HERE, NOW!" Haruka and Bridget screamed near them.

"Don't worry, girls!" Dawn exclaimed, getting her X-Powder out. "I got a plan to give us _some_ relief. I think it's time we put our mass _un_-hypnotizer to work, so I'm gonna jet for the loudspeakers again. Clover, Bridget, can you two cover for me?"

"You know it, girl!" Clover exclaimed.

"All over it," Bridget proclaimed, reaching for her own X-Powder during a break in the attackers. _"Sonic Mode Online!"_

Once Bridget had transformed, the pulse from the transformation pushing the brainwashed concert-goers away from her and Haruka, Dawn raced towards the main stage, even as Piers pursued.

Exactly what Dawn wanted.

As Piers lunged towards her, Dawn waved to Bridget and Clover. Clover was the first to strike, grappling with Piers long enough for Bridget to use her boosted speed to grab Piers and slam him into the ground before he could touch Dawn.

"Hurry, Dawn, while he's down!" Bridget exclaimed, pouncing on Piers' back to keep him there.

Dawn was already on it, moving towards Piers and placing her headphones over his ears, then pressing the button to play the reversed Dreamer's Ballad.

Almost instantly, Piers' struggling ceased, and he looked around as if he was confused.

"Um... why am I on the stage?" Piers asked. "I thought I was in my office..."

"Ladies and gentlemen, we got 'em," Dawn giggled.

"Marnie, we got Piers back!" Bridget shouted as Marnie finally caught up amid the chaos in the arena.

While this was happening, Dawn removed the headphones from Piers' ears and made for the loudspeakers on stage.

"Wait, Piers, if you're really you again, can you tell me how you felt when we founded Idol Opportunity?" Marnie asked.

"Um, why would you ask me that, Marnie?" Piers wondered. "You, of all people, should know how happy I was when I found out."

That was all Marnie needed to hear, and she leaped over to hug her brother.

"Sorry, Marnie, but I'm _very _confused," Piers stated.

"Long story extremely short, some wackos brainwashed you to do their bidding and turn against Marnie and her group," Haruka answered. "And we just got you out of it."

Then, the reverse Dreamer's Ballad began blaring from the loudspeakers, causing the few concert-goers that _had_ been hypnotized to snap out of it and stop attacking the other spies.

"See, Phil?!" May proclaimed. "You're _never_ going to stop us, so just go ahead and stop trying before you embarrass yourself any further!"

"I think they're on to something, dude," T-Bone groaned. "We don't have any backup plans, do we?"

Phil covertly reached for a button in his hand. "Just one," Phil proclaimed, pressing the button.

"H-Hey, does anyone hear _really_ loud footsteps?" Saitou asked.

Remembering the last time something like this had happened, May was the first to glance up to the roof of the arena, just in time for something to smash through said roof and reveal itself as a giant robot, not as large as the Mecha Kumonga had been, but at least as tall as the arena, resembling the RX-78 Gundam in basic design but constructed mostly of large stage props.

"Wait, wait, when did Phil and T-Bone get a _GIANT FREAKIN' MEGAZORD?!_" May shouted.

"Um, May, that's a Gundam, actually," Nozomi corrected.

"Why is it _always_ a giant robot with these people?!" Bridget groaned.

"Rules for villains, number sixty-one," Haruka answered as the robot prepared to enter the arena. "If all else fails, use a giant robot."

"And how the heck is it made out of stage parts?" Kanami gasped. "Is that even possible?! Where would they get the money for it?!"

"Rules for villains, number sixty-two," Haruka answered. "Always go overboard if you _have_ to use a giant robot."

"How many rules _are_ there?!" Clover exclaimed.

"Oh, I could go all day," Haruka giggled.

"All right, we've got a bit of a problem here," Nick proclaimed, raising his left hand and encasing Phil and T-Bone in a psychic bubble. "If we fight that thing here, there's going to be quite a bit of collateral damage. I'm gonna take this fight somewhere else. You all call Jerry so he can pick up Phil and T-Bone and come join me when you're done, okay?"

"Please be careful, okay, Nick?" Alex asked.

"Promise," Nick replied, his psychic aura bursting to life as he floated into the air and flew off through the hole that the robot had made to lure it away. Thankfully, the robot seemed to take the bait and took off high into the sky to chase Nick.

"Is everyone all right?" Marnie asked as she and Piers ran up to join the rest of the group.

"Everyone has been evacuated safely," Sam proclaimed.

"And Nick's going after the giant robot thing that crashed the party," May continued. "What does that leave _us_ to do?"

"I guess all we _can_ do until Nick gets back is to make sure everybody here understands that the danger's over," Haruka stated as the WOOHP helicopter arrived, right on schedule.

"Well done as always, spies," Jerry stated as May used her Wind Tunnel 9000 on ultra-low to push the psychic bubble containing Phil and T-Bone into the helicopter. "Um... where is Nick, exactly?"

"Oh, just taking care of one last loose end," Alex answered.

Meanwhile, high above the skies of Akihabara, Nick looked back and saw the giant robot chasing him down.

"That's a good little robot," Nick teased. "Follow the dangling string."

Nick slowed down enough for the robot to catch up to him and attempt to punch him, only for Nick to dodge around it, flying upwards and then back down around the robot so that he was now the one chasing it down.

"All right, Stage Gundam (I'm calling you that until I can think of a better name), let's dance," Nick proclaimed, preparing to attack.

Meanwhile, the spies got set on their one last MO.

"Now what do we do?!" Clover exclaimed. "We're no Power Rangers or anything!"

Nick was already flaring his psychic aura up above.

"I don't doubt his powers, usually," said Mat from down below. "But I hope that'll be enough for _that thing_?!"

Nick fired a shot at the Stage Gundam. It left a scratch that was 100% visible; the Stage Gundam even backed up an inch.

"Oh gosh!" May groaned. "Nick, you'll need a lot more power than that..."

"No question about it!" Mat exclaimed.

The Stage Gundam then moved its hands to try to flatten the spies like pancakes.

"Rude much!" Clover exclaimed. "We're not gonna become tomorrow's breakfast!"

"Not a chance," said Haruka.

Bridget activated Sonic Mode and ran in circles for a bit to confuse the Stage Gundam, almost like a stubborn mosquito that evaded a person's hand. For a bit, it worked.

"Hey, remember Mat suggested combining our laser lipsticks into one big shot from before?" Britney pointed out.

"It's worth a shot, Brit," Alex said.

"Let's do it!" Haruka exclaimed. "What have we got to lose after all?"

The spies garnered a shot together, while Nick flared his psychic aura again.

"I hope this works," said Melissa.

Clover screamed at seeing the Stage Gundam's robotic hand coming down on them.

"Oh, crapbaskets!" Mat exclaimed. "SCATTER!"

The spies were forced to abandon the shot they were making. The Stage Gundam got Alex and Sam before they could even jump away.

"OH NO!" Dawn exclaimed.

"That does it!" Mat exclaimed. "This hunk o' junk isn't getting _my girl!_"

"No way are you going alone, Mat!" Haruka exclaimed when Mat fired up his jetpack backpack.

Haruka did the same and followed Mat out to at least save Sam.

Britney got out her X-Powder to give Nick a call. "Nick, we're gonna try the same thing Mat suggested against Kid Rocket."

"If it worked then, it should now," Nick quipped.

"By the way, the Stage Gundam got Sam and Alex," Britney replied.

When Nick saw that the Stage Gundam had snatched Alex, needless to say, _he was pissed!_

"Oh, _that does it_, you hunk of spare parts!" Nick growled, his aura exploding outwards in response. "You're going to regret _every single dollar_ those two morons spent on you!"

"We've only got one shot here!" Clover exclaimed. "Let's make it count!"

The remaining spies did what they could.

Meanwhile, Haruka and Mat had gotten to the hand that had ensnared Sam. They both tried to loosen the grip, but to no avail. Alex and Sam were both gritting their teeth as the grip got tighter and tighter.

"No... use..." Sam uttered as her voice got a bit weak.

"Hurry it up, guys!" Mat screamed down to the spies. "I don't know how long Sam and Alex can take this..."

"Do you think this is enough?" Bridget asked.

"It's now or never, girls! FIRE!" Nozomi shouted.

The spies did what they could and fired their shot at the Stage Gundam. Fortunately, with Nick's psychic aura added, the hit was hard enough for the Stage Gundam to lose its grips on Sam and Alex.

"Oh, crap!" said Haruka as she and Mat saw Alex and Sam fall to the ground.

Bridget and May were quick to catch them if need be, but Mat was able to fly fast enough to grab Sam and bring her down safely. Nick and Haruka swapped roles quickly so Nick could bring Alex down safely.

**("Netsujou no Spectrum" by Ikimono-gakari plays)**

"I've officially had _enough of you_," Nick proclaimed as he faced the Stage Gundam down. "I hope you're ready to be turned into a pile of spare parts!"

Suddenly, Nick was tackled to the ground by Alex, who kissed him passionately out of gratitude for Nick saving her life.

And, of course, Sam threw herself at Mat to do the same thing, but he was expecting it, opening his arms for his girlfriend so they could embrace and happily kiss each other.

Sadly, the Stage Gundam stomped down in front of the spies, forcing everyone to turn their attention to it.

"Yeah, yeah, 'roar roar' to you, too, buddy," Nick taunted before floating into the air to attack the Stage Gundam.

"Is there anything _we_ can do?" Nozomi asked. "It's tough just letting Nick do all the heavy lifting sometimes..."

"Well, he's fighting a _Gundam_," Dawn teased. "Giant robots be giant robottin', after all."

"Hey, we've taken down more than our fair share of giant whatevers!" Clover proclaimed. "Let's stop worrying and help our buddy out!"

The Stage Gundam threw a punch towards the spies with its right hand, but Alex reached into her backpack and unleashed a booming shockwave from the Sonic Disintegrator Boombox that caused the Stage Gundam to stumble, giving Nick the chance to sever one of its arms from the joint with a Final Shine Attack.

"Hey, that seems to be working!" Sam shouted as the robot's severed arm fell into the ocean. "I think we just need to concentrate enough firepower on whatever part can attack us."

The eleven spies on the ground all took out their Wind Tunnel 9000s and fired at the Stage Gundam's chest while it was distracted trying to swat Nick out of the sky. The combined blast pushed the Stage Gundam back, and though it didn't break through, it left cracks and tears in its chest plating.

Nick took advantage of this moment to fire a Final Shine Attack through the Stage Gundam's chest, the neon blast piercing through and ravaging its internal systems.

But still, the Stage Gundam refused to keel over, reaching for the spies with its remaining arm.

"Man, this thing is persistent!" Alex exclaimed.

"Probably just needs a little more push," May proclaimed, reaching into her own Jetpack Backpack and pulling out a bottle of Ice Queen Perfume. "Or maybe a little _freeze_!"

May sprayed the perfume onto the Stage Gundam's incoming hand, turning it completely to ice in a matter of seconds. Nick responded by flying down and performing a snap kick that, with his enhanced strength, easily destroyed the arm.

"And now, the coup de grace," Nick proclaimed, flying just a little higher so he could charge up for the finisher, his right hand surrounded by yellow light and his right hand surrounded by green light.

Even as the Stage Gundam attempted one last-ditch effort, Nick slammed his hands together, combining the yellow and green lights into a bright silver light that enveloped both of his hands.

"Say goodnight, you Gundam ripoff!" Nick shouted, the light enveloping his hands growing brighter and brighter. _"SHINING STAR ATTACK!"_

Nick unleashed his gathered energy in the form of a massive wave of silver light almost resembling a tsunami. The wave of light crashed into the Stage Gundam, exploding violently and swallowing the immediate area in a bright flash.

When the light cleared, the Stage Gundam's head had been completely obliterated and the rest of its body was heavily damaged. It collapsed to its knees in the water and ceased moving altogether.

"Owned," Nick quipped before his aura faded and he started falling towards the water.

May was already on the move, flying up to catch Nick before he could hit the water. "You okay, buddy?" May asked.

"A little exhausted, but I'll be fine," Nick responded. "That finisher takes a _lot_ out of me. I can't just fire that one willy-nilly like I do my Final Shine Attack."

"Good to know," May giggled as she and Nick returned to ground level.

"And the giant robot is _toast_!" Alex exclaimed. "Is that everything we need to do?"

"Almost," Sam responded, walking up hand-in-hand with Mat. "I think we should probably check in with Idol Opportunity one more time before we close this case. You know, to make sure everyone's okay."

"And, of course, so May can get that autograph she's clearly been jonesing for," Haruka giggled.

"H-Hey, I'm not the one who brought it up!" May shot back. "I was perfectly okay with waiting until _after_ all of this was wrapped up!"

"That's what you said to Ruri, right?" Nick quipped.

"Yeah, that's _right!_" May shouted. "Come on, Nick, let's _move_!"

And with that, May dashed off back towards the Idol Stadium while dragging a very flustered Nick behind her, leaving the other ten spies to catch up.

"And May's inner fangirl comes bursting to the surface," Haruka laughed. "I knew it would happen eventually."

"Come on, everyone, let's go follow May and make sure she doesn't get _too _fangirly, okay?" Dawn proclaimed.

"Then again, you can't really blame her," Clover quipped. "Remember Teensicle, Sammy?"

"Totally!" Sam exclaimed.

"And Alex and I were the only ones who had no clue who they were," Mat added.

The group found May in the audience with Nick. They were standing on the right-hand side from the stage, and the two were singing along to Idol Opportunity's current song. Alex grinned at the sight herself.

"Well, this may not be what I had in mind for a future date," Sam said to Mat. "Should this be that date you wanted, Mat?"

"I won't say 'no' to that," said Mat. "But I'm calling it part 1 anyway..."

"Part 1?" Sam asked.

"Uh-huh," Mat answered. "Part 2 is us having some peace and quiet at home; you still wanted to cuddle at home, eh?"

"Totally," Sam said as she put her arm around Mat's waist. Mat was happy to return the favor.

The group took in the final song with Sam and Alex taking in the sights with their boyfriends.

Later on, when the crowd of people began to file out, the twelve spies went up to backstage where Ruri was updating her blog on her laptop.

"Thanks again for your help, spies," Marnie said when she saw them.

Ruri looked up and saw the spies, too. She closed her laptop and came to Marnie and Kanami.

"Our pleasure," said Britney.

"We were just doing a last check on you all before we get home to Beverly Hills," Sam added.

"Oh, we're all good," said Marnie as the rest of Idol Opportunity nodded in agreement.

"And, if it's not too late," said May. "Is there any way I can get that autograph from you, Marnie?"

"I'll do you one better," said Marnie.

Samui had come back with some gifts.

"We have an autographed poster for all of you," Kanami replied.

"And we definitely haven't forgotten our most loyal fan," Marnie added. "We wanted you to have this, May; it's not to hit stores until sometime next week."

She came to May and gave her a limited edition of their first album. In addition, Marnie autographed it directly in front of May; the rest of Idol Opportunity autographed it, too.

"Lucky you, May," said Nick from the sidelines.

May could only stare, starstruck, at the gifts before slowly handing them off to Nick, then letting out a loud squeal as she lunged forward to hug Marnie tightly.

"OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MARNIE!" May exclaimed.

"Saw _that_ coming," Nozomi laughed.

"Thanks a lot, Marnie," said Alex.

"Totally," said Mat. "I just may add a little J-pop to my list of things to listen to after this."

"And _thank you_ for helping us solve our problem," Marnie added to the group before centering her attention on Mat. "And, Mat, we hope you're in the audience when we go to Hawaii this Fall."

"We'll see," Mat quipped. "But I will say Hawaii lifestyle _DOES NOT_ disappoint – take it from me."

"Oh, we will," Ruri replied.

Alex grinned, especially since she considered Hawaii her dream destination. The rest of the spies even got a group photo with Idol Opportunity before they wrapped up their show.

"Oh, and if you find our blog, May," Ruri added. "I think you'll like our latest post."

"Oh, wow, this day just gets so much better, doesn't it?" May proclaimed.

"Glad that's over with," said Clover. "I'm due for a little peace and quiet when we get home."

"Uh... maybe Clover might," Sam stuttered. "We still have one last thing to do."

"Yeah, you're right, Sammy," said Alex, realizing. "You and I have our dads to worry about."

**8:41 PM – The Spies' Beach House**

After Jerry dropped the spies off back at home, they entered through the sliding door adjacent to the balcony. Sam made a beeline for the bathroom and used her X-Powder to make her green jumpsuit vanish so she could take a quick shower.

"She couldn't wait," Haruka quipped.

"That's me every now and then," Mat said. "Not that I blame Sammy though."

"My sentiments exactly," said Dawn.

Everyone else used their X-Powders (and Mat used his Nintendo DS) for wardrobe changes of their own. When the spies came downstairs, they were surprised to see two gentlemen already downstairs in their beach house. Alex realized one of the gentlemen was her own dad because his hairdo was similar to Alex's; the other gentleman had to be Sam's father.

"Dad?!" Alex exclaimed. "What are you doing here? I didn't even call you."

"Don't worry, Alex," said her father. "We just came here; we thought you may have forgotten to call us during your mission. We do have some time to kill before we go back to join our wives in Europe."

"No, we didn't forget," said Alex. "In fact, we just got back ourselves."

"As you could likely tell," Haruka added.

"So, you must be the lucky guy, huh?" Alex's father quipped once he'd laid his eyes on Nick.

"Pretty much," Nick replied before reaching out to shake his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"I can see all of your other friends are here, too, huh?" Alex's father asked. "Would you care to introduce us?"

"Okay, going down the list," Nick started. "This is Britney, one of our fellow spies..."

"Hello," Britney stated.

"The first of a few childhood friends, Haruka..."

"Hey there," Haruka replied.

"...second childhood friend, Bridget..."

"Nice to meet ya," Bridget proclaimed.

"...third childhood friend, May..."

"Exclamatory phrases!" May giggled.

"My former girlfriend from before I met the spies, Nozomi..."

"We're still friends, don't worry," Nozomi answered.

"...and finally, parts of my family," Nick finished. "My cousin Dawn and my sister Melissa."

"Nice to finally be met," Dawn stated.

"Likewise here," Melissa answered.

"You've amassed quite the group, haven't you?" Sam's father quipped.

"With our superior numbers, bad guys stand no chance!" May proclaimed heroically.

"By the way, where's Sam?" said Sam's dad, then eyed the other spies, and ended with Mat.

"She's in the shower," Melissa answered.

"Not anymore," said another voice. It was Sam as she had just finished descending the stairs, now dressed in her PJs. "Hi, Dad – I just got out of the shower after we just got home from our mission."

Sam came to hug and kiss her father. Mat watched with a grin at the father/daughter moment in front of him.

"So, is this your winner of a boyfriend?" Sam's dad asked, eyeing Mat behind her.

"Yes, it is," Sam answered, then grabbed Mat's hand. "This is Mathew, but we've grown to calling him 'Mat', the Supercross fan."

"Very nice to meet you," said Mat as he shook hands with Sam's dad.

"The pleasure's mine," said Sam's dad. "I must say that I was very surprised at how much you've done for my daughter, too – the fact you _cooked dinner for her_ just blew me away!"

"Well thanks," Mat laughed. "I'm really just a rookie cook, but I guess I nailed it since that's pretty much the first time I cooked dinner for someone; Nick and Haruka pitched in to help."

Nick and Haruka overheard Mat and nodded.

"Hey, for our buddy, anything to help him wow the girl of his dreams," Haruka proclaimed.

"Maybe seeing a self-admitted rookie cook knock it out of the park will inspire me to level up my own rookie cooking skills sometime in the future," Nick answered.

"So, was there any occasion or anything for a spaghetti dinner?" asked Sam's dad.

"Well, it was actually not under the best of circumstances," said Mat. "It wasn't as an apology for any controversy I caused – _I_ was the one who had my heart broken recently."

"Oh?" asked Sam's dad.

Mat then told him about the 2006 Las Vegas Supercross finale and Chad Reed losing the Supercross title by 3 seconds with a 3rd place finish to Ricky Carmichael's 2nd place. Sam filled in the blanks about having to cheer Mat up; Mat filled in the blanks why he specifically cheered for Chad Reed. They then got into detail about how Mat was spy-napped by Geraldine Husk and Natalie Valentine and how much it broke Sam's heart.

"My goodness," said Sam's dad.

"Now _that_ sucks," said Alex's dad, overhearing.

"Yeah, tell me about it," said Mat. "Anyway, Sam and the others came to my rescue and after Sam and I had a private moment to bring my spirits up, that's when I decided to show my thanks by cooking spaghetti for her basically."

"And I showed my appreciation by inviting him to the jacuzzi outside," Sam finished. "That's where Mat admitted his feelings for me and we made a heartfelt promise to stay together forever; Dad, Mat's the one for me."

"Well, he's definitely made quite an impression," Sam's dad commented. "And if mom gave you her blessing, Mat, welcome to the family."

They shook on it, too.

"Thank you, dad!" Sam exclaimed as she hugged her dad. She turned to Mat and hugged him next.

Sam's dad grinned how happy her daughter was as they shared a celebratory kiss.

"She makes me really happy myself," Mat said. "I didn't go back to Hawaii because of her and everybody else when my parents went back."

"You take care of my girl now," Sam's dad reminded.

"I definitely will, sir," Mat said.

An hour later, both Sam and Alex's dads left for LAX airport. Sam and Alex shared a grin after all that was over; they then turned back to their boyfriends.

"Now that that's out of the way," said Alex.

"It's totally time for us to show _our_ appreciation." Sam finished.

Alex went to Nick and they occupied the couch; Sam escorted Mat upstairs to her room.

Nick and Alex shared a grin as Alex put her arms around her boyfriend.

"I seriously wonder what I did to deserve such an awesome boyfriend, honestly," Alex giggled.

"Then that makes two of us," Nick responded. "But I prefer not to get hung up on the hows or whys and just focus on the now. That's pretty much how I live my life."

"I guess I'm just glad that I got super lucky like Sammy to bag a guy like you," Alex proclaimed. "Guys like you are one in a million."

"Honestly, I don't really consider myself all that special despite the cool things I can do," Nick admitted. "I guess I'm lucky, too, huh?"

"We combined our luck and we won big, huh?" Alex laughed.

"We sure did," Nick replied as he and Alex leaned in for a kiss.

_Meanwhile..._

Sam was nice enough to let Mat shower first before they began cuddling. Mat had come back and closed Sam's door. They lay in Sam's bed and looked up at the ceiling for a bit.

"You can call this my thanks for saving me," Sam whispered to Mat.

"And I think I can call this a good sign that we'll make it far in our relationship, Sammy," Mat whispered.

"My thoughts exactly," Sam quipped. She looked at Mat and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, Mat."

"I love you, too, Sammy," Mat replied.

Sam then stroked his cheek. Mat sighed in love.

"Feels like this morning..."

"Only better," Sam whispered back.

The two lovers looked at each other and shared a deep kiss, knowing their duty with Sam's dad was put at ease.

"I'm guessing you'll let me sleep in here tonight?" Mat asked.

Sam responded by kissing him smack-dab on the lips.

"You can call that a 'yes' if you want to."

Mat grinned about it.

"Hey, Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't think I'm coming between you and Clover and Alex, eh?"

"Of course not, silly," Sam giggled. "I definitely know how to divide up my time so both my besties and my boyfriend get equal attention."

"Good to hear," Mat replied as they leaned in for another kiss...

...only to hear someone singing in Japanese outside the room.

**("Chanto Iwanakya Aisanai" by Sayuri Ishikawa)**

"Is... is that May?" Mat asked.

"It figures she'd be jamming out already," Sam laughed.

They both opened the door and looked out into the hallway, and sure enough, May was walking down the hallway and down the stairs, her headphones plugged into her Walkman as she silently sung along to another Idol Opportunity song.

Nick and Alex looked up from their spot on the couch as May walked by during her silent sing-along, smiling at their friend as she sang.

May passed by the pool, where she watched Haruka, Bridget, and Nozomi all having a rather epic splash fight.

Silently wishing Haruka luck (especially after their water hose fight), May walked back towards the kitchen, still singing along.

Eventually, May's travels took her back upstairs, past the room where Dawn and Melissa were embroiled in a rather intense game of Super Smash Bros. Melee. May peeked in to see Dawn and Melissa furiously mashing buttons to the rhythm.

Even Britney and Clover passed by, Britney still incredulous about how Clover was still crushing on her "baguette guy". May mouthed a silent "oy vey" before returning to her room to finish singing along to the song on her Walkman.

Lying on May's bed was her own personal laptop computer, which was displaying the website for Idol Opportunity's blog. The top-most article displayed the group photo the spies had taken with Idol Opportunity and the message that Marnie and Ruri had written for them.

_So many thanks to our new friends for all their help this past week! And to our new most loyal fan, we'll be stopping in Beverly Hills for a concert in September. We hope to see you there!_

_~Marnie and Ruri~_

_~Totally Spies: Idol Hands~  
__~The End~_

* * *

**Final Author's Notes from The Blue Time Ranger:** Ah, this one was fun! It felt good to inject some J-pop and anime into this adventure, considering how much I love it.

Okay, for some song notes, to those who may have missed what songs are what:

1) "Passionate Spectrum" is the song "Netsujou no Spectrum" by Ikimono-gakari, the first opening theme to The Seven Deadly Sins.  
2) "Blue Bird" is, well, "Blue Bird" also by Ikimono-gakari, the third opening theme of Naruto Shippuden.  
3) "Dreamer's Ballad" is the vocal version of "Ballad of the Wind Fish" used for the 2019 remake of _The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening_, sung by Ichiko Aoba in Japanese, and... well, who DOES sing the English version? Can anyone help me out with that?  
4) The song May sings at the very end is "Chanto Iwanakya Aisanai" by Sayuri Ishikawa, the ending theme for the Japanese version of Lupin the 3rd Part IV: The Italian Adventure.

Also, this is the last time I'm going to bring it up, but to the idiot in the reviews who's screeching at us about using these stories for, well, "unspeakable stuff" (you know EXACTLY who you are), when you CLEARLY haven't even read the stories, you don't faze me, you know. Even if you keep making more accounts to peddle your nonsense, I'm going to block every single one of them. You're not getting to me like you think you are, so just give it up. (Is making multiple accounts just to do this something I can report the guy for? Because I'm not sure if that's allowed or not...)

ANYWAYS... next time on _Totally Spies: The New Adventures_, Sam and Mat have apparently won a contest to stay at a really swanky hotel, only for yet another of the spies' old foes to crawl out of the depths and maroon all of the contest winners at the hotel for whatever his sinister plan is. As always, I'll leave you with a preview for "A Getaway Gone Wrong", which will be on Mat's profile when it begins. So, enjoy the preview, and see you next mission!

* * *

"Um, Mat?" Sam asked.

"What's up, Sammy?" Mat wondered.

"Was that door always locked?" Sam quipped, pointing to the door she had feverishly been trying to open for the past five minutes to no avail.

Mat tried his hand, pulling at the knob, but the door wouldn't so much as rattle. "Oh, that can't be _any_ sort of good," Mat proclaimed. "It's almost like the door was replaced by a steel _wall_ or something."

_You would be correct, you no-good spies,_ a voice blared from the loudspeaker in the room.

"Oh, lord, don't tell me that's Captain Hayes," Sam groaned.

_Correct! You are now my prisoners, as is everyone in this hotel._

"Were you planning this all along?!" Mat challenged.

_But of course. You damned spies are going to pay for what you did to me._

"And another thing! Why is it _always_ revenge with you wackos?!" Sam shouted.

_Oh, where would the fun be in spoiling the surprises?_

And with that, Captain Hayes disconnected, leaving Sam and Mat in the room by themselves even as Sam retrieved her X-Powder to call the other spies.

"This is bad, Sammy," Mat proclaimed. "We need to get the others on the horn right away."

"_Already beat you to it, Mat!"_ May's voice answered. _"Sam just gave me the rundown."_

"Wow, that was fast," Mat teased.

"_Don't you worry about a thing, lovebirds!"_ May proclaimed. _"I'm gathering the squad to come and bust you all out, so just sit tight and we'll get you out of there before you can say 'Luigi's Mansion ripoff'!"_

"Please hurry, May," Mat stated.

_To be continued in Totally Spies: A Getaway Gone Wrong..._


End file.
